


A Reason to Fight

by Magical_Devil_Alex



Series: DC Shenanigans [3]
Category: DCU, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Angst, Billy Batson protection squad, Billy goes through a lot okay, Character Death, Crying, Death, Injustice, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Kinda, Magic, Other, PTSD, Temporary Character Death, a lot of crying, i just gave a middle finger to Shazams death, it still canon complant, made bc im salty about Billy dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2019-10-12 08:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17463839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Devil_Alex/pseuds/Magical_Devil_Alex
Summary: Billy Batson's last memories consisted of staring into Superman's eyes as his former mentor burned a hole into his skull. After that, there was nothing but horrible darkness and a voice calling out to him, one that continued to get stronger and stronger. Without any warning, he's reborn, awaking in the Rock of Eternity to find out that he never actually died, and the Regime has fallen.He should be happy knowing that the Insurgency won, that Superman was getting the justice he deserved... but he couldn't be. Something in Billy Batson died, and even now with the help of Shazam, it was never coming back.In a world trying to get back onto its feet, how could he be apart of it, especially knowing he was part of the reason it fell in the first place?AKA, I'm salty that Shazam died in Injustice and this is my way of giving the middle finger.





	1. Stealing Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! While this fic will have a lot of references from the Injustice comics and games, you don't need to know much about them to really understand what's happening. Just know that Superman snapped and started killing criminals, Batman and his Insurgency tries to stop him, and along the way Shazam tries to reason with Superman and gets killed because of it. (How the FUCK Superman killed him with heat vision of all things I will never understand, but you know, whatever.) So yeah, enjoy!

In all of his time as being a hero, how he would die never crossed Billy Batson's mind. After all, why would it? With the power of Shazam at his fingertips, the gods ready to be released with a simple word, it seemed that nothing could ever touch him. For years he fought gods, heroes he onced called friends, went to the underworld, and survived Trigon nearly dragging him and the whole world to the depths of Hell, all without getting a single scratch. 

The idea of being killed by his teammate, his mentor, his idol, someone he considered his  _friend..._ it never touched his thoughts. It was  _impossible._

And yet, here he was, a hand around his neck as he was lifted by Superman, mouth frozen shut so that he couldn't call on the magical lightning bolt that would take out the Kryptonian instantly, staring into his eyes as they turned red with  _heat._

Someone had to help him, someone had to see that what Superman was planning to do, killing  _millions_ of people not just in Gotham or Metropolis but other  _worlds, someone_ had to see that this whole thing was _wrong._ He should have seen it long ago, when he found out that Superman killed Green Arrow, when he watched as the Kryptonian _slaughtered_ the entire Green Lantern Corps, when the voice of Shazam still spoke to him in his head, desperately trying to tell him that Superman had  _gone too far Billy, you're better than this,_ we're  _better than this._

But he had ignored it, and now everyone in the room, Wonder Woman, Yellow Lantern, The Flash, friends he would do anything for, watched as Superman planned to kill him, like he was simply another criminal to dispose of. Like he was the Joker.

Not even Black Adam, who Billy thought was finally starting to open up to him, did anything. He could feel Adam's energy, the sparks mingling with his own, spiking as the milliseconds went on, Superman's eyes growing hotter and hotter until-

It  _burned._ Every nerve in Billy's body screamed with  _fire_ as the heat vision easily sliced through his skull. He couldn't scream, couldn't move, couldn't possibly hope to fight back in the Kryptonians grip. It was like he was no longer in the body of Shazam, no longer filled with the power he had been given years before, and was now simply  _Billy Batson,_ a kid way too over his head, life being  _stolen_  by a tyrant. There was no life flashing before his eyes, no thoughts of what he should and shouldn't have done, no praying or begging. There was only  _pain,_ pain like he never thought existed,  _coursing_ through every vein. 

He knew when Death finally took pity on him, finally took him away from the world of pain and suffering. Her embrace was strangely warm and comforting, a warm shadow that covered his whole being. He could vaguely feel his body falling, but it was so far away that it might as well not exist. Death extended her hand, offering peace and serenity, when she suddenly froze. Her head tilted to the side, as if she were listening to some unheard melody, hand retracting slowly.

 _"I am sorry, William Batson,"_ she whispered to Billy, beginning to fade away.  _"But they are still holding on to you."_

 _Who's holding onto me?_ Billy desperately wanted to ask, wanted to know what Death  _meant._  Was this his punishment for helping Superman and the Regime, for pushing away Shazam and so many friends?

But he couldn't ask anything, not when he couldn't even feel his own mind or understand the complete and utter darkness around him. Death simply disappeared, leaving Billy all alone and left to his thoughts and memories. They felt murky, yet at the same time they were so sharp that it felt like he was reliving them over and over again. Every death, murder, drop of blood, and warning went through the boy, leaving him aching to cry with no way to. 

 _I killed Lex Luthor,_  he cried to himself, the memory of him using lightning so that Lex couldn't use the weapon that would incapacitate Superman rushing through him. Billy might not have finished the job, but moments afterword Superman snapped Lex Luthor's neck, furious to find out that whom he thought a friend betrayed him to help Batman. 

_If I hadn't done anything, he would still be alive._

In all this time, Billy's never killed anyone. He was the only one besides Flash in the Regime that hadn't, but now, Lex Luthor's death weighted on him like a crushing rock, suffocating him with grief and sorrow. The darkness didn't care about any of this, stubbornly occupying every single atom of space. It was almost like the darkness was  _judging_ him, silently allowing Billy to suffer for everything he's done.

_I deserve every second of it, by the gods, I deserve every second of it._

He thought he could  _help_ Superman, keep him from going too far... but he failed to see that the Kryptonian went too far the second he killed the Joker, the second he decided to take over Earth and become its tyrant. Why did he think that being his comrade would change anything, that his voice would matter in the eyes of Superman? He was just a boy in a man's body with no one to guide him.

 _I had a guide. But I pushed him away, I didn't listen to anything he had to say. I miss you Shazam,_ please _, don't leave me alone. I'll do anything, please,_ **please,** _don't leave me alone. I can't be alone again..._

He hoped Death would come back and take him away from this darkness, take him away from all the painful memories and thoughts. Whoever was holding onto him was wasting their time, putting too much effort into a boy that lost everything because he was too blind to stop any of it. In the depths of the darkness he could still sometimes feel his body, hear the whispers of words spoken around him. But now there were no more words or sounds, just pure silence that was amplified by his screaming thoughts.

 **I never left you, Billy,** came a gentle voice, so soft that boy was all but positive that he had imagined it, a hallucination made in his mourning mind in attempts to calm him. There was no way Shazam would come back to him, especially now that he was dead. The Champion of Magic would find a different vessel, Billy was sure of it. He could only pray that they would not mess up as he had, and would  _protect_ the world as he should've. 

 **Just hold on a little bit longer,** the voice of Shazam insisted, a little bit louder than before.  **I promise I'll save you, Billy. Now that I have the chance to, there's no way in Hell I'm letting you go, not for every star in the universe.**

 _Just let me go,_ Billy found himself pleading as another wave of memories started to play.  _I'm not worth it, I've done enough already, just let me **go.**_

If the boy could see Shazam, if he was even  _here_ at all, Billy knew that his face would be set in stubborn determination, the same expression Billy would get when faced with a tough opponent. He didn't even realized how much he  _missed_ Shazam until now, how lonely he had been without the Champions voice constantly in his head. For the longest time in had served as an annoyance, but now he longed for the days when he and Shazam would spend hours talking to one another about everything and nothing at all. It was all so much simpler then, when Superman was still a symbol of hope instead of fear, when the world still made sense. 

 **Never,** was the only thing Shazam replied with, before his presence faded away yet again. It  _hurt_ so  _much,_ so much that Billy thought he was dying again. Even in death he couldn't stop pushing everyone away.

_I should have listened to Harley... why didn't I listen to Harley?_

That was the last conherant thought he had for a long while. Afterwords everything became so blurred and out of place that his mind might as well have been scattered air, bumping into everything and nothing. The cold began setting in then, the darkness no longer pretending to be warm, instead soaking every inch with ice. Billy could barely feel any of it, yet at the same time the cold was all he  _could_ feel. Memories continued to cycle through, but he couldn't react to them any more, only take it. They blended together until he couldn't tell where one started and the other ended, leaving him at the mercy of feeling nothing at all and too  _much._

And somehow through all of it, through the darkness and time that stretched on for eternity, Shazam's voice still managed to find him. It was few and far inbetween, and most of the time Billy had no idea what he was saying, but he was still  _there._ It was the only comfort he had, the only moments where his memories didn't threaten to consume him with everything they had. 

And gradually, with time he no longer understood or felt, Shazam's voice grew  _louder_ and  _louder._

 **You're so close Billy,** he said one day, the first words that the boy's been able to comprehend in a  _long_ time.  **You can make it, I _know_ you can make it.**

After that, the darkness began to... become lighter? Billy didn't know if that was the right word or not. The darkness had been so absolute and so prominent for so long that it felt  _impossible_ that it could fade. But yet, fade is started to. The cold didn't warm, Billy was sure it never would, but it was  _something._ What, he didn't know, but he  _did_ know that Shazam's voice was still getting louder.

**That's right, just a little bit more...**

The light was starting to grow  _painful_ to his eyes, but he didn't _have_ eyes. The boy was still dead, still lost in whatever Purgatory this was. So while he wanted to shy away from the light filling his vaguely aware senses, he couldn't. 

 _But it hurts,_ Billy wanted to whine, but he had no voice. It  _continued_ to hurt until everything was aching and  _throbbing,_ but still, Shazam pushed him on.

 **I know it hurts, Billy,** he said soothingly, his voice now so clear that it  _echoed._ **But that's good. That means you're _coming back to me._ Just bare with me a little bit longer... **

There he stayed in the ever growing light, the darkness receding steadily. It almost didn't want to let him go, Billy could tell by the lingering ice that surrounded him even as the light overcame the dark. It didn't fight him leaving, but it definitely wasn't happy about the whole thing either. Shazam knew this too, but the Champion couldn't care less what the darkness wanted.

And then, without and warning whatsoever, Billy could  _see._ It took him many long moments to realize what he was looking at, but his fuzzy mind finally told him that he was looking into an endless body of stars and galaxies, each twinkling with their own beautiful light. It was such a pretty sight after seeing nothing but pain for so long that Billy wanted to sob, until he realized that he had  _eyes._

The boy sharply sat up with a harsh gasp, feeling a rush of  _life_ shooting through his veins like a bullet. All at once, everything was too much, _too bright too loud too hard too soft, not after so long-_ and tears really  _did_ begin to roll down his face. They burned, the feeling reminding him of Superman burning a hole into his head, the salt on his tongue making him choke. Everything  _burned._

"Billy-" a voice suddenly call out, a voice so  _familiar_ and  _safe._

"Shazam," the boy sobbed, instantly seeing the face of the Champion he knew all too well. His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he were speaking for the very first time. "It  _hurts,_ please make it  _stop-"_

Shazam instantly put his arms around Billy, doing his best to comfort him while he cried his heart out. He couldn't do anything to stop the pain, gods knows he wanted to, but it had to fade on it's own. He may have been the Champion of Magic, but even he had his limitations. 

"I know it hurts, Billy," he whispered, rocking the boy back and forth. "I'm so sorry, I can't stop it, but I promise it will."

_Will it?_

_It has to. What is he supposed to do if it doesn't?_

_I don't know. I... I don't know._

And in the blink of an eye, after nearly a year... Billy Batson was finally brought back from the dead.

But even then, after so little time, Shazam knew the boy would never be whole ever again.      


	2. Cold As Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter~

Shazam didn't know how long he stayed there with Billy, desperately trying to comfort the boy as he cried his eyes out. He never has been good about time, and it didn't help that time flowed differently in the Rock of Eternity, without reason and forever changing. The Champion should know, seeing as there was a time where he was trapped here for more than 2,000 years with no one but the Wizard for company.

The harsh shaking in the boy's arms and hands never _truly_ went away, but Shazam knew that it would take a long time before it was gone. Maybe it never  _would_ be gone, but he didn't want to think about that. He  _couldn't_ think about that.

Billy's eyes slowly raised to Shazam's, the childlike glee and heart that usually filled them shattered into a million pieces. The Champion could clearly feel his pain, from the burning in his eyes to the aching in his heart, but what was going on in his  _mind_ would forever be a mystery to him. Shazam, while he never  _left_ the boy (he never could, not even if he wanted to) wasn't exactly  _there_ when Billy... died. (It was _weird_ to think about it, especially considering that wasn't exactly  _true)._ But he  _was_ there when death nearly took him, and he gripped onto the boy with all his immortal life _(like Hell I'm letting you take him, Death. Not now, not ever.)_

But the reason he was able to save Billy in the first place... it still made his head hurt to try and understand it. 

Shazam gently ruffled the boy's hair, hoping he was being soothing. With all of his vessels, he's never spent as much time with any of them as he has with Billy. Something about him was just  _different_ compared to the rest, how his heart never once wavered and only grew  _stronger_ the longer he had the Wizard's power. With most it was the opposite: the power would start going to their heads, make them greedy and selfish, until Shazam could no longer come to them when they called his name. With Billy, even as he stayed with Superman and his Regime, his heart never once darkened, no action with ill intent ever done. 

And even now, after being murdered and brought back from the brink of eternal death, the boy's heart didn't have once speck of the darkness that he was trapped in for so long. Shazam could see it beat steadily in his chest, the usual bright red glow duller than before. The only proof that he was even  _dead_ was the cold that covered his skin like ice, contrasting sharply with Shazam's fire like temperature. But still, no darkness, and that alone proved to the Champion just how  _strong_ Billy Batson is, even with being beat down and pushed through Hell, he was still as worthy as ever to hold the power of Shazam. 

"What.." Billy croaked out, his voice trembling dangerously. "What...  _happened?_ How... how am I here?" he weakly used his head to gesture to the Rock of Eternity. 

"I," Shazam started, not entirely sure what to say. "A lots happened since you've been gone, Billy."

The boy moved closer to the Champion, looking up at the stars that he's been fascinated with since the moment the Wizard brought him to the Rock of Eternity. "You know what I mean, Shazam," Billy whispered softly, hardly anything coming out of his mouth. He sounded like he was about to break down again, one of the boy's small hands coming up to brush under his eyes, like he could feel something there. 

_The milliseconds went on, Superman's eyes burning hotter and **hotter-**_

Shazam fought the urge to gasp, the fear and pain that came with Billy's memory hitting the Champion right in the chest. It didn't happen often, but there were times when he and the boy shared memories, usually in times where one of them was hurt or vulnerable, which right now, would be both. It was always an intense moment that passed quickly, but it still  _burned_ in Shazam's mind. 

The Champion took a deep breath, getting his thoughts together before he talked. He supposed he should start from the beginning, why Billy was alive and whatnot. He could get to the rest of the world in a minute.

"I was able to save you because of an opening... someone gave me," Shazam said cautiously, not saying said person's name. He didn't think Billy would be ready to hear it yet, not after the wound of his death was still so fresh. "With it I was able to stop Death from taking you past the point of no return... but it took me quite a while to get to the Rock of Eternity to bring you back. The rules of the universe are blurred here, so magic wouldn't be as strict when it's dealing with death. After that, it was just a matter of reconstructing your body and coxing your soul back into it." Shazam closed his eyes, refusing to think back to the brief time where Billy's body just  _laid_ there, no life anywhere to be found, when for a moment he thought he had failed, and no matter what he did Billy would be gone  _forever._ That  _monster_ took him away for good, and he couldn't have done anything to  _stop it-_

Billy nodded slowly, taking in everything he was told. He was still rubbing under his eyes, and with a closer look Shazam saw that there were  _scars._ That happened sometimes, when the body of Shazam takes in more damage than it can handle on its own, causing a scar to appear in the vessels mortal body. And now, just like the path of lightning and various others, the moments where Superman burned through his eyes would be forever recorded on Billy's pale skin. 

A constant reminder to the boy's worst moments of his short  _life._

_Gods,_ he was still so  _young._ It always amazed and terrified Shazam when he remembered how young Billy still was, how much  _life_ he still had to go through. He's _seen_ so much,  _done_ so much,  _been through too much..._ and yet, before he died, he was just getting into  _high school._

"What happened to... everyone else?"

Shazam couldn't help the small smile that appeared as his face. It was just like Billy to get the topic off himself as quickly as possible to ask about others, something so  _normal_ that it nearly made the Champion forget about everything  _else_ that question implied.

"Like I said, a  _lot_ has gone down... I'll do my best to remember it all." He took another breath, smaller and shorter this time. "Batman was able to get the alternate timeline Superman to fight and win against  _our_ Superman. The Regime is nothing but a memory anymore, and the remaining members have either turned themselves in or are in hiding where no one can find them. The world is...  _slowly_ piecing itself back together after so many years under the Regime, but it's getting there. I think you would really like it Billy, everything is so much...  _lighter_ now." 

The boy immediately recoiled at Shazam's words, shaking his head furiously and squeezing his eyes shut.  _"No,"_ Billy forced out, almost like a squawk. "I can't go back, I can't  _ever_ go back, Shazam. I've done enough-"

"What the Hell do you mean  _you've done enough?"_  Shazam interrupted, confused at his the boy's words. "Billy- you were one of the few in the Regime that still  _cared_ about the lives of criminals, one of the ones that still tried to  _help._ You deserve a second chance after everything-"

Billy abruptly shoved himself away from Shazam using all of his limited energy to stand up.  _"No,_ I  _don't_ deserve a second chance! Can't you see what I've  _done?"_ Billy screamed, gripping at his dark hair and burying the heels of his hands into his eyes. "How many people I've helped kill, how many times I stood by and  _watched_ as Superman killed  _so many innocent lives?_ How I could have  _stopped_ it if I hadn't been such a suck up and a damn  _coward?_ I  _betrayed_ so many heroes I called friends,  _refused_ to listen to Batman because wa so certain that Superman was  _right._ And  _when_ did I finally start to question Superman? It wasn't after he killed Oliver, after he wiped out the Green Lantern Corps, after he snapped Lex Luthor's neck, _no,_ it wasn't until he decided to slaughter entire  _worlds_ that I questioned him.  _That's_ how long it took." Fat tears drops poured down the boy's face, his entire body quivering. "I even pushed  _you_ away. How could forgive me for doing  _that?"_

Shazam shot up from his place on the floor, staring down at the boy he's known for so long. Billy looked so  _small,_ so  _fragile_ in a way he's never been before. 

_How could I be so blind to what he's going through?_

The Champion pulled Billy's hands away from his face as slowly and as gently as he could, rubbing soothing circles into his wrists. The boy refused to look at him, instead trying to stare a hole into the rock below him. With a gentle tug, Shazam wrapped his arms securely around Billy, once again noticing just how  _cold_ the others skin was. It was like nothing could ever thaw it, though Shazam knew he would attempt to until there was no trace of chill on Billy's skin ever again, until the memories of his past didn't haunt him ever again. 

"Billy, have I ever told you that I can see people's hearts?" Shazam asked, feeling the hesitant shake of the boy's head as he gripped onto the Champion.

"Well, I can. I can see their intent, their passion, their worth, everything I might need to know about someone. And your heart Billy? Well," Shazam looked up at the stars he's known for so long, the ones that haven't changed in thousands of years. "You have to purest heart I've ever seen. No darkness, no cracks,  _nothing._ A heart like yours isn't supposed to exist, especially with the amount of power you hold in the palm of your hand. So yes, Billy, I think you deserve a second chance. Despite what you think, you never  _stopped_ being a symbol of hope to people, and that's even more true for the people of Fawcett City. Yes, you made mistakes and yes, now you see the wrongs of your doings... but that doesn't mean you can't be  _forgiven_ for them. You might not believe me now, but they  _miss_ you, just like  _you_ miss  _them._ Please Billy, you've have to at least  _think_ about it..." Shazam trailed off, hoping what he was saying would resonate in the boy. He needed time to heal, yes, but he also couldn't just stay here in the Rock of Eternity with nothing but his thoughts. It would tear him from the inside out.

After a few long minutes, the word, "okay," weakly came from Billy's lips. "I'll... I'll think about it. Just... not now." The last part came out pleading and broken, making Shazam hug the boy  _tighter._

And as they both stood there in the Rock of Eternity, they wondered if the world, much like themselves, would ever truly mend back together.               

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song- Cold As Fire by Joy Oladokun


	3. Disease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we Go~
> 
> Chapter song- Disease by Beartooth

It took one Earth month for Billy to finally mention going back. In that time, the boy wandered the Rock of Eternity aimlessly, often staring at the statues of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. Shazam didn't say much to Billy in that month, but constantly did his best to reassure the boy with his presence, hoping it would give him some sort of comfort and safety. Billy's skin was still ice, much to Shazam's dismay, and he was starting to wonder if the boy could feel warmth at  _all._

And the few times when Billy actually managed to  _sleep..._ well, lets just say it wasn't  _pretty_ in the slightest. The first couple of hours, everything would be perfectly fine, the Champion gently running his fingers through the boy's soft hair, listening to his deep breathing. But after that... it was pure  _Hell._

The nightmares would start to kick in, and once they started, there was no way for Shazam to wake the boy up and drag him  _away_ from them. It was like Billy would be  _living_ in them, and never once realized they weren't real until he somehow forced himself to wake up. The Champion never asked what happened in them, as much he wanted to, but it broke his heart every time to see Billy so  _distraught_ over the images the dreams brought him. Shazam has tried dozens of sleeping spells, potions, anything to help the boy sleep more than four hours, but  _nothing_ has worked. 

Maybe  _that's_ why he was so relieved when the boy finally  _talked_ to him about  _anything._

"Can I... can I just...  _see_ some people?" Billy asked quietly, nervously making eye contact with Shazam, like he believed he would be punished for asking.

"What do you mean, Billy? Do you want to go to Earth and see someone?" the Champion promoted softly, trying to be as non threatening as possible. He absolutely  _hated_ how skittish the boy seemed to be around him now. He wondered if it was some product of his nightmares that made him be like this, and if it was, Shazam was determined to prove them wrong. He was  _not,_ and never  _would be_ mean or cruel to Billy, especially now that he's saved the boy from death. He didn't realize just how much they  _relied_  on one another until they became distant, and there was no way in Hell he was ever letting the boy go now. 

Billy nodded swiftly, looking way from Shazam to look at the floor. "I wouldn't be  _too_ long and I'm not really sure I want them to see me, but yeah... I want to see someone," he trailed off, glancing up at the Champion hesitantly.

Shazam gave him a warm smile, secretly  _ecstatic_ Billy wanted to go to Earth to see someone. Sure, it was a small step considering he didn't want them to actually _see_  him, bit it was defeint progress. Anything that got the boy off the Rock of Eternity was good. There was no more healing the magical place could offer him, but Earth could offer so much. 

"Okay, Billy. Who do you want to see?"

Billy hesitated again, starting to play with his hands without realizing it. "Uh... I really want to see Harley," he forced out quickly, his cheeks and nose going pink. Shazam's smile only widened at the name, one he hasn't heard in a  _long_ time. The Champion vividly remembered the times they spent with Harley, the doctor tricking Billy into saying Shazam so that he turned back into his mortal form, Harley saving them from Black Adam, and weirdest of all, Harley kidnapping Billy. Yeah, that had been a  _weird_ day.

"And... I would like to be alone when I do," the boy added nervously. The Champion nodded, a little sad that he wouldn't be there with Billy, but still glad that he was still  _going._ If he had to stay behind to let Billy figure things out on his own, then so be it.

"Got it. Ready to go?" Shazam questioned, the location of Harley Quinn easy enough to find, seeing as she wasn't trying to hide or anything. He smiled to himself when Billy gave him a thumbs up to signal he was ready, and with a whisper of an ancient spell, Billy was teleported away from the Rock of Eternity.

 

 

The next time Billy blinked, he found himself in the middle of a shopping mall filled to the brim with people, lights and colors. It was such a contrast compared to the Rock of Eternity that for a minute he merely stood there in  _shock,_ blinking furiously to try and comprehend the world around him. The sound was almost  _too much,_ just like when he first came back how everything was just  _too much-_

Billy closed his eyes momentarily, taking deep breaths to calm his raging heart. When it finally calmed down to a level where he wasn't in danger of a panic attack, the boy slowly opened his eyes again, taking in everything  _slowly._

He went in a circle, taking in the mall piece by piece. There was a bunch of makeup stores that he never knew existed, a Hot Topic, and a food court from what he could see. It was so  _normal_ after everything that's happened that he felt tears wanting to burn behind his eyes, but he refused to let them form. It was odd to think that he's ever find Harley in a place like this, but what did he know? Despite their many encounters, Billy actually didn't really  _know_ much about the doctor... accept for what he was  _told_ about her...

A loud and familiar laugh came to his ears, taking the boy away from his thoughts. When he turned around, he was greeted with the sight of Harley Quinn, along with another woman that he couldn't remember off the top of his head who was wearing sunglasses. She definitely  _looked_ like someone Billy knew, but the  _who_ he couldn't answer.

The boy had the sudden urge to hide as the two began coming his way, nearly running into someone as he jerked to the side. "Sorry!" he blurted out, only for that same person to simply...  _walk through him?_

Billy starred where the person had been, wondering if that really just happened. He  _did_ ask to Shazam to make it so that no one could see him, and it seemed the Champion made good on that promise... but it was still so  _weird_ to be apart of the world and not be able to interact with it. He waved his arms as other people passed by, finding that his limbs faded through every single one of them like he was air. 

Huh. So  _that_ was a thing now.

Harley's laugh reached him again, and this time, with little hesitance, he followed the sound. It was easy to do since he didn't have to necessarily worry about the people around him, and fairly quickly he found himself only a few feet away from the doctor. She had barely changed at all in the time he's been...  _gone._ Her light blond hair was still died with that bright red and blue, though it had faded quite a bit, and her normally powder white skin was a bit darker, but other than that, there was no doubt that this was Harley Quinn.

_I've never seen her look so... happy,_ Billy thought to himself, taking in Harley's relaxed posture and easy smile as she talked to the woman next to her. Wondering what they were talking about, the boy shyly got closer, even as he knew they wouldn't be able to see him. That thought suddenly made him sad, but he pushed it back, not wanting them memories to try and trap him.

"... But that's enough about me," Harley was saying, slinging her arm around the other woman. "What about you, Dinah? How's baby Connor doin'? Everything all nice and healthy?"

The woman gave a chuckle, shaking her head fondly. "Well, he's certainly turning out to be his father's son. The little bugger can't stop making mischief for the life of him. But yes, everything and every _one_ is healthy."

_Dinah... as in Dinah Lance?_

Billy felt himself freeze, the reason the woman seemed familiar hitting him forcefully in the face. She was...  _Oliver's_ wife,  _Oliver's_ love... and the realization was making his stomach ache and squeeze with a sour feeling. And she had a  _son,_ and son that was living without his father, because of  _Superman_ because of  _him-_

The boy stumbled back, hitting the stack of shoes that had been next to him. To his complete surprise, the stack tumbled over, making a mess all over the mall floor.

Harley and Dinah stopped abruptly at the seemingly random pile of falling shoes, but while Dinah and a few other of the workers started putting them back up, Harley remained where she was, trying to understand why she  _saw_ someone right in the aftermath of the collapsing pile. The was not even a second they were there, but the doctor had excellent vision and an eye for the out of place. So  _how_ could someone appear and disappear so  _quickly?_ Not even Barry or Bruce could have done that!

The doctor continued to stare at the place where she clearly saw a young boy, slowly making her way around the mall, looking for anything that seemed out of place. Even as Dinah finished helping the workers and came back to her, she didn't notice the hand on her shoulder, too engrossed in her personal mission to do so. 

_"There!"_ she cheered, unknowingly doing it out loud. A few people glanced at her with a confused look on their face before moving on, but Harley gave no thought to them. She was too focused on the faint shimmering of the air as it weaving around and through people, reminding her of some sort of magic like Dr. Fate or Zatanna would do. Without hearing Dinah calling her name, Harley followed the shimmering air, which seemed to have noticed her interest. It was almost like it was...  _panicking?_ That was the only way she could think to describe it, the way it tried to get away faster even as she was catching up.

Soon, the shimmering air came to apart of the mall that was being renovated and remodeled, blocked off by caution tape that the doctor easily slipped past, running at this point. "Hey!" she called out, hoping to get the thing to stop. Sure, somewhere in her head she was thinking that this was a bad idea and  _maybe,_ just  _maybe_ this was some sort of trap, but in her gut she knew it wasn't. Harley Quinn might have be insane or crazy, or  _whatever,_ but she  _knows_ what she saw.

The shimmering stopped at the sound of her voice, and for a split second, Harley saw the boy again. Now why did he look so  _familiar..._

"Are you alright, sweety?" she asked nicely, taking a step closer. "Your lookin a little lost there."

The boy came back, but this time, he didn't flicker out in the blink of an eye. There was a shocked look on his face, and after getting a good look at who she was following, Harley was sure there was a  _very_ similar look on her face.

_What- how-?_

"You... you can  _see_ me?" questioned the trembling voice of Billy Batson, someone she thought,  _knew,_ was long dead. Like Dinah's Ollie, _her_ Ollie, not the one from the other Earth. Like Mister J and Lex and so many others.

"Lil Shazy?" she breathed, scarcely believing her own eyes. She  _had_ to be hallucinating, right? A trick, a prank,  _something,_ because there was no  _way_ Billy could still be alive, not after what Superman did to him, not after Bruce  _himself_ said there was no way for him to be saved- it just  _couldn't be._ This  _had_ to be some cruel and twisted mocking of the universe trying to remind her just how much she's  _lost._ But she didn't need reminding. Harley Quinn never  _has_ and never  _will_ need reminding.  

Despite this, Harley took another step forward, even as Billy winced at stepped back, his hands shaking like leaves caught up in a winter blizzard. The doctor  _swore_ there were tears threatening to fall from his blue eyes, even as he bit his lip to keep them back. She was close enough that she could  _touch_ Billy if she wanted to, and without her own permission her hand raised to be placed on the boy's shoulder.

And  _god_ was he  _cold._ Even through Billy's thick red hoodie Harley could feel the lack of warmth radiating from his skin, how  _solid_ and  _real_ he felt. Yet, at the same time, there was something  _missing._

"Are you... are you  _real?"_

The look on Billy's face was cross between hurt and uncertainty, his mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish as he looked anywhere but Harley. "I don't know," he finally whispered, the tears he tried so hard to keep in rushing down his cheeks all at once. "I don't  _know_ anymore."

And without thinking the doctor was hugging the boy with all of her impressive amount of strength, letting him bury his face into her shirt and let out as much as he needed to. She didn't know  _why_ or  _how_ he was alive, but he  _was,_ her Lil Shazy somehow  _right here._ She had to get Dinah and then contact Bruce and  _just oh my god he's **alive-**_

"I'm  _sorry,"_ Billy was whimpering, shuddering with each sob that came from his chest.  _"I'm sorry, Harley, I'm so so sorry, I should have listened to, I should have done **so many things-"**_

****"Hey, shh," Harley soothed, running her fingers through the boy's dark hair as she attempted to calm him down. "There's no need for that, it's all fine! You're _alive,_ and wait until Dinah and Bruice and everyone else finds out-"

****Billy shook his head rapidly, leaning away from the doctors touch as if it suddenly _burned_ him. "No, they can't know I'm back,  _please_ don't tell them Harley.  _You_ weren't even supposed to know I saw you and I just can't-" he took in a quivering breath, trying to steady himself. "I can't go back to the way it used to be, like nothing ever happened. I can't go back knowing I was part of the  _disease_ that tore this world by its roots, that I did  _nothing_ while innocent people like you and Mr. Wayne were ruthlessly hunted while I did  _nothing_ to stop it. I just  _can't."_

****"Oh, _Billy,"_ Harley hushed, forcing the boy to look at her. "Whatever guilt you have buried in your soul doesn't  _belong_ there, you hear me? I know you messed up and did some bad things, but guess what?  _So did I._ This world is messed up and I don't think it will ever  _stop_ being that way, but don't  _ever_ try and tell yourself that you were a  _disease_ to the world. You were trying to  _save it,_ even as the Regime tore it down to nothing. Remember when I told you that the world could use some more heroes? Well, it  _still could,_ and I  _know_ you could be that hero."

****The boy stared at her for a long time, the tears continuing to roll silently down his face. Finally, he whispered, "you really think so?"

Harley broke into a smile, whispering back, "I  _know_ so."

"Harley?  _Harley!"_ yelled a voice from behind her, and when the doctor turned she saw Dinah running towards her, panting slightly with her sunglasses gone. "You just took off! Is everything alright?"

The doctor glanced back Billy, only to do a double take when she found him  _gone._ She stood up, brushing off the excess dust from her pants and walked over to Dinah like nothing ever happened. "Oh, nothing to worry about! Just something I thought I saw," he exclaimed, wondering in the back of her mind if Billy really  _had_ been just a hallucination of her grieving mind. But in her heart, she  _knew_ he was still alive, somewhere, somehow, and he would come back when he was ready. Maybe not now, maybe not for a  _long_ while, but her Lil Shazy would come back. 

And as she walked away with Dinah in tow, Harley thought that for a moment, right after she had told Billy that he could be a hero again, his ice cold skin had grown just a little bit warmer.            


	4. When the Seasons Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- When the Seasons Change by Five Finger Death Punch

Barry Allen's screwed up a whole lot in his life. Some things were small, insignificant, or easily solvable. Others were so drastic that it changed the entire course of world, and not for the better.

Like when Captain Cold got away with robbing a bank because Barry hadn't saw that one patch of ice in his way, well, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that  _important._ Cold would always come back in one way or another, all of his rogues did, but for the time being he wouldn't feel too bad about letting the villain get away. He knew Cold and all the others would never actually  _hurt_ an innocent person, and because of that, Barry brushed off the whole failure in a matter of minutes.

But... other things weren't so forgivable. Like when Barry  _helped_ Clark with taking over the entire world to put them under one ruler. Sure, at the time it seemed like a good solution, seeing as Clark just wanted to protect everyone he could so that there would be no more  _Metropolis's._ So while every other instinct and gut feeling in his body told him that all of this was  _wrong_ and  _we shouldn't be doing this, **why** are we doing this-, _Barry went along with it all. Even if at times he tried to convince Clark to be more lax and that you had to draw the line  _somewhere,_  he went along with it.

How many people would he have been able to save if he  _hadn't_ gone along with it?

Would Hal have ever become a Yellow Lantern, befriend Sinestro and kill Guy Gardner? Would Diana have ever decided to  _destroy_ entire cities because she was convinced it was for the  _good of the world?_ Would Clark have still kill all of those people, some right in front of him, with no thought or remorse whatsoever? Especially since many of them were his former allies and friends?

There was no way to know for sure, but Barry was pretty sure he knew what the answer would be. And that answer would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Maybe if... maybe if he thought of changing sides _before_ Barry watched Clark kill Billy right in front of all of them, like he was another criminal to dispose of. Maybe he could have gotten both him and the kid  _out of it,_ out of the Regime, out of this whole killing squad with stretched morals that they both still never gave in to. It was odd to think that out of all his former friends, only one of them had refused to kill. Clark, Diana, Victor, Hal, all of them at one point or another decided that killing was the right answer.

And then, after they all watched a  _14 year old boy be murdered right in front of them-_ only Barry was the one to question, only Barry decided that _enough_ had passed  _long_ ago. 

_"What about Billy? He didn't deserve to die, wasn't a criminal-"_

_"Casualty of war."_

That's what Hal called him, called  _Billy._ Like it was a someone they haven't know for  _years,_ like he was another clone to simple sweep under the rug and forget about. Just another casualty of war that didn't even deserve a proper burial or for his family and friends to be told.

So yeah,  _that_ was Barry's breaking point. He ran to Batman and did his best to prove he had switched sides, helped him and the Insurgency take down Clark and his Regime. He could still remember clear as day when the dark knight asked him what finally changed his mind, why he decided to help them. He stood there frozen, mouth partially open to say the words on his tongue but caught in his throat-

_"He killed Billy," came from his mouth in a hushed whisper. "He burned a hole into the kid's head because he thought that slaughtering entire cities was wrong. I... I couldn't... I couldn't stay knowing that the only true hero in the entire Regime, a **kid, Billy** was killed without a second thought. None of them even  **cared** Bruce. They called him a  **casualty of war.** Like you could just forget that he was kid that was still trying to grow up and try to help the world all at them same time, like you could just forget about how much he sacrificed for us, like you could just forget that we thought of him as a  **friend.** I... I just  **couldn't** anymore."_

And afterwords, when Clark was put away and the Regime was dissolved, Barry let himself be taken away to pay for his crimes. It was the least he could do, after all the terrible things he's done and let happen. Every death, whether from a friend or enemy, haunted him every single second of the day. Everyone from Golden Glider, who was executed for her crimes by the Regime, to Oliver Queen and Billy Batson, who were killed by a former friend.

He was used to seeing their ghosts, or, what he  _assumed_ were their ghosts. For the most part, he was sure they were hallucinations of his sleep deprived and nightmare fueled mind. Like the first night he was in the metahuman prison to await trial, he vividly dreamed that Lisa Snart's body was right in front of him, just out of reach as she slowly bleed out from a massive gash in her chest. No matter how desperately he ran, he could never catch up, could never  _save_ her. He could hear the voice of Len Snart in the background, calling him a pawn and a coward for letting Superman ever go so far, that it was  _his_ fault that his baby sister died.

Many days, Barry agreed. 

Yet even with all of the ghosts that  _did_ show up, there were a few that never reared their heads to strike him. Guy Gardner never appeared, though Kyle Rayner and John Stewart for whatever reason did. Dick Grayson once came to him with a sad smile on his face, but Red Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans and someone that most people have assumed dead for a long time, attacked him in a brutal nightmare, using his famous bo skills to beat the speedster in a bloody pulp, all while seething how Barry never  _tried_ hard enough. Never once has he ever met Red Robin in an instance where they were enemies, yet in that horrible nightmare it felt like the vigilante had a  _personal_ vendetta against him.

But that was probably all in his head. After all, he was still a man of science, and there was no  _physical_ proof that any of these encounters actually  _happened._ Barry might  _think_ he sees Raven burning in Hell with Trigon laughing maniacally behind her, but there was no way to prove it. He might  _think_ he sees Joker covered in blood and with an insane grin painted onto his face, a silver knife ready to carve into the speedster, but the second he was forced awake, the clown prince was gone. 

That's why when he suddenly wakes up one night in a cold sweat, the image of Lex Luthor's decapitated head screaming in his mind, he doesn't notice the person in the shadows of his small room immediately. The ghosts have come for him when he's awake before, though it was very rare that they did. 

After several minutes of Barry calming his racing heart, he narrowed his eyes at the outline he faintly saw in the dark, wondering who it was supposed to be. He's long ago stopped trying to ignore them or pretend they weren't real, even if he knew logically they were just projections of his broken mind. The speedster wiped the excess sweat from his forehead, studying how the figures body seemed rather small and thin, if not slightly hunched over as if they were trying not to be seen. There was no movement from them, and if it didn't look so damn human-like, Barry might have thought it was simply a shadow.

But the faded glint of blue told him otherwise.

"Are you another nightmare?" Barry asked out loud, his voice deep and rough from sleep, even if it hadn't been a pleasant one. "'Cause if you are, you don't look very scary."

The shadow seemed to shift at his words, and the speedster swore he could see the shadow's feet move back and forth, like a little kid being scolded for doing something bad. The only light in the room came from under the heavily enforced door (not that Barry would try and break out) and it was nowhere  _near_ enough light to illuminate any part of the shadow, meaning quite literally that he was at the mercy of whatever this was. If it  _was_ a nightmare or hallucination, he wished it would get on with the haunting already. The guy just wanted to go back to sleep, preferably dreamless. Was that too much to ask?

"Look, I realize you're probably just another figment of my horrible imagination, but if you're going to torture me or whatever, could you _please_ just get it over with?" Barry pleaded, watching as the shadow froze again. There were some other movements it made that the speedster couldn't make out, but with what clearly looked like a deep breath, it stepped forward, letting just enough life to hit it so that Barry could tell that it  _wasn't_ a shadow. In fact, it almost looked like...

Barry blinked, squinting his eyes as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Whoever it was was wearing something red and yellow, with dark hair and blue eyes, a combination you saw quite often when it came to people he knew. Clark, Diana, most of the Robin's, Zatanna, and plenty of others had the whole dark hair and blue eyed complexion. But this figure looked quite young and male, so all of those options were off the table.

_(There was a tugging in the back of Barry's mind, trying to tell him who this was, because he **had** to know this person, right? It's on the tip of your tongue but you refuse to say it in fear of it being true. If it is true, this night is going to get  **so** much worse.) _

But the name was out of his mouth before he could stop himself.  _"Billy?"_

He's never had a nightmare about the kid, even if his death probably hurt Barry the most. He never understood why he had nightmares about people he barely knew, and yet the ones he knew best tended to stay away. Maybe this was about to break that pattern. 

There was a shaky inhale breath that the speedster  _knew_ had to come from the figure, dread filling his stomach. He didn't want to have a nightmare about the kid, didn't want to see his last moments again. Anything,  _anything_ but that.

_But isn't this what you deserve? You say that about every other nightmare._

_Yeah, but this is **different.** I don't really know  **why** it's different... but it is._

From the darkness, came a soft whisper of, "hi Barry." 

It wasn't a yell or even a normal level, barely enough sound to carry to the speedster, but it still made him stop breathing for several seconds in... what exactly  _was_ this feeling? It wasn't fear, relief, shock, any of that. It was... something much more  _complicated_ than that, a mixture of emotion that left him breathless. He hasn't heard Billy's voice in such a long time, and even before the boy died he was never  _Billy_ anymore. It was always Shazam's voice that came through, Shazam's words and actions, not Billy's. He faintly remembered Billy once explaining to him that he and Shazam were different people, but at the same time they weren't. Even when he was in his mortal form, the boy could still hear the voice of the Champion talk to him, and when he was Shazam, it simply amplified to the point that they became the same person. Or something like that. Barry was never good at understanding magic.

But even if he didn't understand magic, it sure  _felt_ like he was in some magic induced coma or something. No nightmare has ever appeared this clearly to him, no nightmare has ever been able to replicate the of the voice of the one they're mimicking as perfectly as this one. 

_Is this even a nightmare? Is this even a hallucination?_

"How are you here? I thought..." Barry didn't finish the thought, not wanting to say it out loud. It suddenly felt taboo to mention it, in front of this ghost or whatever this was supposed to be. 

The figure of Billy Batson took a deep breath, eyes darting around the room. "It's... it's a long story. A  _really_ long story that even I don't understand very well. But I'm here."

Without realizing it, a smile began growing on Barry's face, something he hasn't done in... well, years if he were to be honest. He didn't know why the appearance of the boy he watched die made him smile, but it did, even if he still had his doubts that any of this was even real. Maybe he should tell one of the guards to get him a psychiatrist, someone who could diagnose him properly and get him on medication. Was there even a medication that could stay in his immune system long enough to do anything?

"Are you real?" the speedster found himself asking, rubbing at his eyes. He didn't know if he was happy or sad when he found Billy still standing there, not saying a word but still radiating pain nonetheless. "You know what? I don't even care if you're real or not. I'm going to say something I've been wanting to say for a long time now."

Billy didn't respond to any of this, simply waiting there in the darkness if Barry's cell. It might have been his imagination, but Barry swore he saw the smallest bold of lightning flash in the blue of the boy's eyes, something the speedster remembers seeing many of times when he and Billy were still in the Regime. It was an odd thing to remember so  _vividly._

"I'm sorry, Billy," he started quietly, trying not to let his voice tremble. "I'm sorry for not getting you out of the Regime earlier, for not saying anything, for not stopping Clark when he... killed you.  _Nothing_ could describe how much I wish I could go back in time and take it all back.  _Nothing_ could describe how much I wish you were still here to enjoy a world  _without_ having to fear death if you attempt to help someone.  _Nothing ever could."_ Tears burned in the speedsters eyes, but he hardly noticed. "I can pay for my crimes for as long as I need to, but I will always be guilty of killing  _you_ and so many other people. When the seasons change, and this brutal winter becomes some sort of summer again, I will still carry all of those deaths with me." The tears were now freely flowing down Barry's face, and if he looked hard enough through the tears, he was sure Billy was crying too. It was weird to think that a potential hallucination could feel so much  _pain,_ but it did. Real or not, even Barry could tell how _broken_ this Billy Batson was, how much  _suffering_ he's been through. It was almost too much for the speedster to handle.

"I know I don't deserve it, I _know_ I shouldn't be begging for this, but  _please Billy,_ forgive me? I... I can't ask any of the others. They just haunt me in my dreams, not... whatever this is," Barry rushed out, not entirely sure what he was saying anymore. 

For many minutes, there was no sound in the small cell. It was such a long time that Barry was sure that Billy had disappeared, left the speedster with his desperate request still hanging in the air. But then, the boy responded.

"I've always forgiven you, Barry. And maybe... when the seasons  _do_ change... maybe those deaths won't seem so heavy. After all, I'm to blame too. We're  _all_ to blame," Billy said, what looked like the barest hint of a smile ghosting over his face. "I hope you find peace one day, Barry. You deserve it."

The next time the speedster blinked, Billy was gone, but at the same time, he wasn't  _gone._ It wasn't final like his murder had been, though Barry was starting to think that the boy's death had never been final in the first place.

Barry laid down on his bed and fell asleep quickly, happy to find his sleep for once, dreamless. 

Maybe the ghosts were starting to find peace as well.                     


	5. The Safety of Disbelief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- The Safety of Disbelief by Light the Torch

Slowly but surely, Shazam could see improvements with Billy's health and mental state. The first trip the boy made to Earth to see Harley Quinn was what got the ball rolling up the long, slippery and icy slope, and the second trip to Barry Allen helped thaw that ice just a little bit more. Billy's skin was no longer chilled to the bone, but instead had just a little bit more warmth. He actually  _smiled_ once or twice, genuine smiles that lit up his entire face.

But he still didn't want to return to Earth completely. He stilled stayed in the Rock of Eternity, still wandered the plaine for most of his time, still stared at the statues as if they had the answers to the silent questions he's been asking. They haven't really talked about it yet, though Harley  _did_ mention it, about Billy becoming a hero again, to say the Wizard's name and once again be a force of good in the world. But Shazam knew he couldn't just ask that question now, couldn't just throw that onto the boy while he was still trying to figure out everything. 

Often, Billy asked about what the heroes of Earth were doing. Most of the time it was questions about Harley, what she was doing and who she was with, and Shazam would always tell him with a light grin on his face. Sometimes he would ask about Barry as well, and even on rare occasions, others like Cyborg, Killer Frost, or Yellow Lantern. The Champion was always more hesitant with those who were in the Regime with Superman, not sure how much he should say or how much Billy could stand to  _hear_ him say. Shazam was just glad those were few and far inbetween.

But then... the Champion got a question about someone he never expected to receive. 

It was after one of Billy's sessions where he would sit in front of the statues for what Shazam could only assume to be hours, when he silently stood up while staring intently at the statue of Anger. For a minute, the Champion watched as he contemplated the bronze figure, the boy squinted at it like he was trying to find something that wasn't there before.

Without turning around, Billy asked with no emotion in his voice, "why do you think Wonder Woman followed Superman?" 

Shazam simply stood there for many seconds, not expecting the question, nor sure how to answer it either. He understood  _many_ things, the inner workings of the universe, magic, the origins of every element and every death of every star. Yet emotion, the one thing that is driven from the  _vessel,_ that he's  _never_ understood. He's had vessels who suddenly start killing people, vessels who fall in love so deeply that it kills them, and everything in between, but the Champion still doesn't understand it.

Then again, he was sure humans didn't understand it either. 

"I'm not entirely sure," Shazam finally said cautiously. "I think she thought that what Superman was doing was right, I think she was angry and grieving about Metropolis, just like everyone else. Maybe that grief was enough to drive them both over the edge."

Billy still didn't move from his spot, the tilt of his head the only twitch of muscle. "I guess it's just so weird to think that she's an Amazon, a race that's supposed to  _protect_ man kind and the innocent... yet she still thought it was okay to destroy entire cities." The boy shook his head, finally turning away from Anger. "Do you think anger and grief are so close to one another? That you're able to be so angry that you would hurt other people?"

The Champion pondered the question, rolling it over in his mind. The wisdom of Solomon told him that yes, anger and grief are very much intertwined with one another, but how you  _dealt_ with it was the question. Superman, Wonder Woman, all of those in the Regime, never took the time _to_ grieve. They just flung themselves at the next problem, taking the solution to such extremes that they no longer cared about the lives they took. 

"Everyone grieves in their own way, Billy," Shazam told him gently, getting the feeling the boy wasn't _just_ asking about Wonder Woman. "It okay to feel angry,  _normal_ in fact. It's all apart of moving on with what's happened, no matter what that may be."

Billy lowered his gaze towards the ground, his foot dragging in a pattern in the multicolored rock. "Where  _is_ Diana?" he questioned quietly. Shazam had a feeling where this was going, but as much as he disliked it, he answered anyway.

"She's in Themyscira, paying for her crimes against mankind."

Then came the question the Champion dreaded. 

"Can you send me to her?"

He could. He could send the boy no problem to the magical island of the Amazons, undetected and with no trace. All it would take was a thought, a simple command and spell that sent Billy to Themyscira and back without any hesitation. And yet... he still hesitated. Everyone grieved in their own way, sure, but sometimes the methods weren't always...  _healthy._ He didn't mind sending the boy to Harley Quinn or Barry Allen because Shazam knew that Billy already had a good relationship with them.  _Diana_ on the other hand...

Billy walked to the Champion, looking up with his wide, wide eyes.  _"Please,_ Shazam? I don't need very long... I just need  _enough."_

After giving the whole thing another moment to be in his head, Shazam found himself replying with, "alright. But not  _too_ long, okay? I... I don't like the idea of you being around her for very long."

The boy slowly nodded his head, biting his lip as he stepped back still staring intensely at the Champion as he waiting for the spell. Shazam didn't allow himself to think any longer about the request, scarred he would convince himself  _not_ to go through with it. With a spell, the boy was once again gone from the Rock of Eternity, appearing somewhere in Themyscria.

 

 

The next time Billy blinked, he smelled the warm, slightly sweet smell that was purely unique to Themyscira. He's only smelled it once, at that felt like such a long time ago that the boy contributed it to a whole different  _person._ I many ways, he  _was_ a different person, though in even more ways, he was the  _same._

Billy took a deep inhale of the island smell, finding it comforting even if he knew who resided there. If he were to be honest, he never expected to ever come here again,  _especially_ after the whole 'fighting the gods and going to the Underworld' fiasco.  _That_ had been a  _very_ weird day, one that was sure that he would never forget, even if he eventually lives to be old and wrinkly. 

The boy tilted his gaze towards the horizon, admiring the sun that was just beginning to set below the crystal blue waves. It was the first sunset he's seen since before his supposed 'death,' and after so long, he's forgotten just how  _beautiful_ it could be. He soaked in the sun rays, wondering if his skin would become darker in it, even if he wasn't 100%  _on_ the island. He would still go through objects and people unless he felt extreme emotions or he wanted to, but he wasn't sure if the sun could still reach him. 

Billy eventually tore his eyes away from the sun, blinking the dark spots out of his vision. He came here for a reason, and he planned to see it through.

Like with Harley, it wasn't hard to find Diana. In fact, there was only one place she  _could_ be, given that he was on the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean in what he thought was a very large gazebo. It's architecture was very similar to that of the Roman's with a good bit of Greek thrown in, which Billy admired. When he looked across from the gazebo, opposite of where he was standing, he could see a woman that even from behind he could tell was Diana. There was no mistaking the prideful and firm hold to her shoulders and back, her long dark hair, or the familiar dark eyes when she was turned at an angle which he could see them. 

He expected the sight of her to fill him with dread, but surprisingly, his heart beat steady without a hitch and his lungs remained working. That didn't mean the memories in his head were any weaker or any less consuming, but he was sure if he had come here a few weeks ago (what he  _assumed_ were weeks, time was hard to measure at the Rock of Eternity) that he would have reacted much like he did when he saw Dinah Lance. 

Diana turned around slowly, as if she could somehow sense that Billy was there, watching. Maybe she did somehow, seeing as she was a being of magic much like Shazam was. Either way, her gaze slid right past the boy, though it was narrowed to look for anything out of place. 

Billy didn't realize he was holding his breath until she looked away, no longer held in place by her regal and powerful eyes. For a few moments afterword, he hesitated, wondering if he really  _did_ have the strength to go through with this whole thing. He still had plenty of time to call Shazam to bring him back to the Rock, to be gone from the island without anyone ever knowing he was there. 

He could. But then he would never get the closure with his once ally that he desperately needed, closure that might make his heart ache just a little bit less, closure that might help the nightmares that still plagued him every time he closed his eyes. Closure that that could convince him that it was a good idea to start over again.

Willing his body into existence, Billy let Diana's eyes shoot back to him, the calm fire in them turning into a roar. For several seconds, she said nothing as she took in the boy's form, the wheels in her head spinning rapidly as she assessed the situation before her. Billy let her, not sure if his voice would be strong enough to make a sound just yet. 

"What are you?" Diana demanded, taking a step towards the boy, her stance already going defensive as if getting ready for a fight. Billy had to fight the overwhelming urge to step back from the Themyscrian's advances, but he stayed right in his place, looking Diana right in the eye as if to prove to her that he was real.  _That's right, I'm right here. And there's nothing you can do about it._

"Are you a trick sent by one of the gods? If you are, I recommend you leave.  _They_ won't like it if they find out who sent you here." To Billy,  _they_ was so obviously the other Amazon's, but at the same time, there was no  _way_ that could be right. How could Diana talk about her sisters as if they were criminals, as if they were horrible monsters?

_How could you do and say so many horrible things?_

"I... was not sent by a god," Billy forced himself to say, his tongue still feeling slightly numb in his mouth. The words came off stronger than he expected them to, but even he could feel their weakness. To Diana it must have sounded pathetic, but the boy tried not to think about it. He told himself that the Amazon's opinion of him no longer mattered, though right now it was hard to think that when her expression was nothing but judging and analytical. 

"Then why are you here?" Diana hissed, now only a few feet away from the boy. Now, after being so close to her after so long, Billy could  _feel_ the anger rolling off her in waves, years old anger that's never faded. How did he never notice it before, how angry and heartbroken she is, how she never got the chance to _grieve?_

_Maybe you didn't want to see it, didn't want to believe it. You didn't want to see or believe so many things for so long._    

The boy pondered her question for a moment, knowing that there was no  _real_ way he could answer it. For the most part, he didn't really know why he was here either, but he just knew he had to be. He felt it in his very soul that he was supposed to be here, for one reason or another.

"I'm Billy Batson," Billy told the Amazon firmly, focing his posture to straighten. Diana's face twisted into something between anger and pain, her hands twitching into fists and her mouth turned into a snarl. But unlike the Billy Batson so long ago that would have coward under that gaze, he stayed standing up, finding that her eyes weren't so hard to meet.  "I'm Billy Batson, and I came here to ask you a question."

"You're not real, just some trick sent by a petty god! Go back to Hades where you came from!" Diana snapped, raising her fists to fight as she took purposeful steps towards Billy. The stance, that look in her eye, it made him feel helpless all over again, it made him feel like the world was ending again, an end he helped to start. He stumbled backwards, but there was only another two feet left before he was at the railing that looked over the ocean cliffs, and the Amazon was still coming for him. 

Desperate to get his former ally away, Billy instinctively raised his hand, the fingers in the same position he would put them in if he was call lightning to him as Shazam. If felt stupid to do, especially since as a mortal the boy  _had_ no magic, but less than a heartbeat later electricity flowed through his fingertips, and without thinking he thrusted it forward, a bolt of magical lightning shooting from his hands to hit Diana square in the chest, knocking her all the way to the other side of the gazebo. He stood there with his mouth gaped open as the Amazon pushed herself up, wiping off a small ripple of blood that came from her nose.

"I  _am_ real," Billy found himself saying firmly, placing his hand on his chest as if to prove it. "And for the next minute,  _you_ are going to listen to  _me."_

Diana opened and closed her mouth, much like a fish would. It eventually close with a snap of her jaw, the shock from the lightning already fading. She's dealt with worse, but then again, the boy could  _give_ a lot worse as well.

Taking a deep breath, Billy started saying the words that's been on his mind for a  _long_ time. "We used to be friends, allies that would help each other in times of need. Do you remember those times, Diana? Do you remember the days when you and I would team up to simply talk to one another, to help people when we could and nothing else mattered? I do. Gods, it feels like another lifetime ago but I  _do._ I remember the times when you would come find me after a bad day with the Justice League, I remember the times we spent playing with the kids at parks. I remember _all_ of it." Billy smiled fondly to himself at the memories, memories that showed a simpler, better time.

"I also remember believing that you would be one of those people that would always be there for me no matter what, that we would defend each other til our last breath. I know  _I_ would have, Hell I probably _still_ would in some sick, twisted way. But then you," the boy swallowed down the lump in his throat that had started to rise. "But then  _you_ decided that suddenly, I wasn't a friend anymore. That somehow, what happened to Metropolis made it right to throw away everything the League as went through with one another. That somehow Batman, who was one of your closest friends for  _years_ was an enemy, simply because he thought that Superman was wrong." Billy shrugged your shoulders. "Though, I guess saying that makes me kind of a hypocrite, seeing as I went along with it as well. So I guess I could forgive you for that part, even if I don't really forgive myself."

"But that's not... you did  _much_ more than just turn on your friends Diana. You started  _killing_ people,  _innocent_ people because they  _dared_ defy you and the Regime. You bullied those who remained loyal to Superman,  _threatened_ them, forced them to  _fight_ and  _hurt_ those they could once call friends without their neck being snapped." As he was talking, Billy started walking forward, and now he was almost in an exact mirror of his and Diana's position earlier. The Amazon never moved a muscle or said a word throughout the boy talking, though Billy could faintly see the twitch of her throat as if she wanted to say something.

"And as if  _that_ wasn't enough, you decided that slaughtering millions of people, entire  _cities_ was the answer to your struggles. You and Superman were so far into your anger that neither of you hesitated at the idea, and the rest either agreed or were too afraid to speak up. That is, everyone accept  _me."_

The boy and the Amazon were only two feet apart now, and for the first time since knowing Diana, he didn't feel small standing next to her. Even when he was Shazam he felt dwarfed compared to the demigoddess, he strong and confident aura making her feel taller than she already was. But now that aura was faded back, faltering in a way that Billy never knew it could.

"It's now, after you watched Superman kill me without caring that I wonder if you ever cared about me at all. I guess that's the safety of disbelief, isn't it? I refused to think that any of you could ever hurt me, that in the end, I could still  _remind_ you what it means to be a  _hero,_ and yet, look where it got me. Dead." Billy closed his eyes, fighting the tears that so desperately wanted to fall, the back of his throat burning with the effort. 

"My question, Diana, Wonder Woman, whatever you want me to call you now is simply this: did you ever care about me?"

The Amazon's body was still stung tight with tension, but if the boy looked hard enough, he could swear he saw tears glistening in her eyes. Billy's never seen Diana cry, and even now, he had the suspicion that he never  _would_ see it. The Themysciran was so guarded anymore, never showing any emotion that wasn't anger or rage, emotions that used to be rare on her. 

Then, with a voice so soft it was nearly carried into the wind, Diana said, "I always have, Billy."

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, and there was suddenly nothing to stop the pent up tears from rolling down his face. That... that wasn't what he expected to hear her say at  _all._ Maybe no, not ever, or perhaps yes, I did once, but not...  _that._ The words made the knot in Billy's chest unravel just a small bit more, slowly loosening until it didn't feel like there was hundreds of thousands of pounds constantly crushing him. 

In the back of his mind, the boy could feel that pull of Shazam on him, gently telling him that the Champion was about to bring the boy back to the Rock of Eternity. Billy submitted to it, his body slowly starting to fade from the island of Themyscira.

"Thank you for telling me, Diana," was the last thing Billy was able to say before he was gone completely.

And on the island of the Amazon's, for the first time since Steve Trevor's death, Diana found that there were tears streaming down her face.          


	6. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- Haunted by Diamante
> 
> Also, if it's not really clear for whatever reason, this chapter takes place in the regular DC universe where Injustice Batman got the clones to help on his universe. Just wanted to clarify.

There were very few things that made Clark Kent waver. He's dealt with so many aliens and crazy villains over the years that it was almost  _impossible_ for him to falter at anything that came his way, not to mention that he  _couldn't,_ not if it meant saving people. If he hesitated, more people got hurt, if he hesitated, things could get worse. It was just the nature of being a hero.

But interdimensional travel, well, that  _always_ gives him the heebie jeebies. It didn't matter if the other him was almost the exact same with next to no differences, looking at them was always...  _strange_ it a way that was hard to describe. It made the back of his neck tingle just  _thinking_ about it. So for the most part, he opted to simply not think about the few times where he's traveled dimensions, content to stay in his own.

And yet... there would forever be one universe he could never forget, could never just...  _ignore._

The universe where his alternate self became a tyrannical ruler of Earth, using his power to kill anyone that opposed him. The one where so many of his closest friends were  _murdered,_ too many by his own hand. The one that continued to haunt him to this day, the dreading popping up at random moments to leave a cold sweat running down his back and make his stomach tight. It didn't matter that in the end Clark stopped his alternate self and imprisoned him. There was something just so...  _wrong_ about that world. 

There was no pattern to when the moments would occur. Sometimes he would go months without one just to be suddenly hit in the face with the dreaded feeling. Other times it refused to go away for days at a time, leaving him slightly paranoid and snappy. He did his best to hide it from his fellow heroes, but he had no doubt at least a few of them knew, like Bruce and Diana. 

Right now... this was one of those moments. There was nothing special happening, just the monthly Justice League meeting they were all required to be at. Clark had just glanced around the table, abruptly freezing when he saw Shazam, his eyes glued to the hero's form without being able to look away. Shazam didn't notice this, instead intently watching Diana, who was now speaking about something Clark could no longer hear. There was only ringing in his ears, ringing that was beginning to crackle like electricity the longer he looked at Shazam.

The image of Shazam with two holes burnt into his head flashed through Clark's mind, his fists clenching as he attempted to calm his racing heart. In that other world, his alternate self killed so  _many_ that sometimes it was hard to keep it all straight, but there were two deaths Clark would  _never_ be able to misplace. The first one was Oliver Queen, his absence still painful for many as he decided to stay in the other world, where _their_ Green Arrow had been killed. 

Billy Batson was was the other one.

Clark remembers that after they put his alternate self in that prison, the other Batman began looking for Shazam's body, saying that he wanted to give him a  _proper_ burial like he deserved, and not just some hole in the ground. The other Flash helped them quickly with this before he was sent away to his own prison, and the moment when the hero's body was finally revealed in the dirt still showed up in Clark's rare nightmares. His body hadn't even started decaying yet, his godly power still following him through in death. 

He hadn't been able to breathe as Batman gently lifted Shazam's body from the hole, a grim frown etched into his mouth. The dark knight never said a word, simply walking out of the burial site, leaving Clark there. It was then that he had been hit in the face with just how  _wrong_ this other world was, how  _wrong_ this version of everything turned out to be. He... he  _murdered_ a  _child._  That world's Billy Batson was only a few years older than his own, and that thought made him sick in his very bones.

Shazam was given a proper resting place after that, complete with his own memorial and a statue. Clark noticed how it just mentioned  _Shazam_ and not  _Billy Batson._ But he never asked why this was, or if there would be anything for the boy. His heart was already stretched too thin by then. Going back to his own universe had been nothing short of relief.

_His_ world's Billy Batson was still alive, he reminded himself as the memory of a dead Shazam still plagued his thoughts, Shazam's form flickering back and forth between life and death. No matter how many times he tried to blink the flickering out of his eyes, it remained, the static in his ears nearly becoming deafening. It reached its peak when the flickering form of the hero suddenly turned to look at him, those hollow eyes staring right into his soul, as if  _Clark_ was the one who killed him

_You are, remember?_

And then everything stopped, the static disappearing and a very much alive Shazam looking at him with concern. League members around him were standing up and chatting amongst themselves, some already leaving to do other things. The meeting had ended, and Clark hadn't noticed at all. He tore his eyes away from Shazam's questioning gaze, standing from his chair. He needed to go someplace to collect his thoughts, somewhere where he couldn't fall back into those horrible feelings. 

Without thinking he began speed walking towards the tubes, already having a place in mind. With a few buttons, he stepped into the tube, not noticing Shazam calling out his name from behind him. It seemed that his super senses decided to take the day off or something.

In the blink of an eye, the Kryptonian found himself in a corn field, the warming light of the sun just barely crossing the horizon. Clark took a deep breath, feeling comforted in the place where he grew up, where there was nothing strange or unusual, where everyone was normal and just lived their day to day lives. He had been the only break in that normality, but at the same time, Smallville didn't make him feel  _overwhelming_ like everywhere else did. Here he could just...  _be._

Clark pushed off the ground, flying into the brightening sky with his cape swirling around him. The gentle smell of farms and crops filled his nostrils, closing his eyes as he drifted higher and higher. Without realizing it he faced the rising sun, soaking up the rays that came from source of all life on this planet he loved. It was all so peaceful, the world here just beginning to wake up, everything serine and perfect. He could have stayed in this moment for forever and never know it.

"Superman?"

The Kryptonian opened his eyes at the sound of the voice, wondering how he didn't hear the one it belonged to before. After all, Shazam was not known for his ability to sneak up on others, especially one with super senses like he had. He must have been so far into his own little world that he blocked everything else out.

Clark slowly turned around to face Shazam, the early morning light making the lightning bolt on his chest glow. Thankfully, his form stayed alive, no longer going back and forth to death. The red clad hero's face showed emotions so  _easily,_ the concern and worry carved plainly onto his face. The Kryptonian never knew  _how_ Shazam could do that so easily, how he could let his heart be worn so simply on his sleeve. You could say it was because of how young he really was, but the hero's also given out some of the best advice that Clark's ever heard.

"Is there a reason you followed me, Shazam?" the Kryptonian asked, hoping that his own emotions weren't so easily read.

The red clad hero bit his lip for a moment, bright blue eyes glancing at the sun before looking back to Clark. "At the meeting... you suddenly became so  _pale,_ like you were seeing something that was scaring you to death. I've never felt so much  _agony_ come from you in that moment. I guess I just... wanted to see if you were okay. Wanted to know if you wanted to talk about it."

Clark let out an airy laugh, running his fingers through his dark hair. Honestly, he's not sure he'd  _ever_ be able to just  _talk_ about the thoughts that haunted him. _He_ was supposed to be the rock to lean on when others were feeling helpless, _he_ was supposed to be the constant support that lifted others out of darkness. 

But who was supposed to lift  _him_ up when he was in the darkness?

"It was nothing, Shazam, I just felt out of it for a few moments. Nothing to worry about, I promise you," Clark replied nonchalantly, giving a smile that he hoped would comfort the younger into thinking everything was fine. But all it did was make the red clad hero's lips press into a thin line, his brain visibly working through something. 

"It's about that other universe, isn't it? The one with the Regime?"

The Kryptonian flinched like he was slapped in the face, unable to hide any of his reaction from the sudden accusation. He opened his mouth to protest, but Shazam continued before he could. "I've noticed you've been... different since you and the others came back from that dimension. Sometimes you just suddenly stop and stare at someone with this odd look on your face, like you're remembering something." Shazam took a deep breath, the lightning his his eyes dimming ever so slightly. "I know I don't know  _everything_ that happened while you all were there, but from what I've heard... it was  _bad._ I can't understand what you saw and had to do... but I can listen."

Clark broke eye contact with Shazam, the abrupt urge to just tell  _everything_ resting on his tongue. It would be so easy, so simple to just let everything off his chest, to lighten the crushing weight that threatened to break him. The words were falling out of his mouth before he could even think twice.

"I-  _he_ killed you. Their Batman and I- we- we dug up your body so that you could have a proper resting place," Clark shuddered, clenching his hands into fists so that they would stop trembling. "There were  _holes_ burnt into your  _head,_ Billy, and I- I don't know. That world, everything about it is so  _wrong_ and I never want to think about it again, but I  _can't._ It keeps coming back, reminding me that I could  _kill_ someone if I was pushed far enough, that I could kill so many of my good friends-  _and it terrifies me._ Their Superman doesn't feel remorse for what he's done, from what I can tell. And that terrifies me too."

Shazam contemplates this for a moment, looking surprisingly calm for being told that his counterpart was killed. The hero was always so hard to understand, even if he was easy to read. So much went on in his head, where all that infinite wisdom was stored, making it hard to tell what he was thinking about. 

"I never realized my...  _death_ in that universe bothered you so much," the red clad hero said softly. 

"Doesn't it bother you, knowing I could do that?" Clark snapped back before he could stop himself, immediately feeling bad for doing so. 

Shazam raised his eyebrows, tilting his head at the question, as if he didn't register the anger in the Kryptonians voice. "No, not really, because I know I could probably do the same to a lot of people. Yet, I don't, but I bet there's a universe out there where I do. I'm sorry you feel this way about my death in that universe, but Clark, just like with all deaths,  _you have to move on._ You can grieve, you can take your time to process it all, but at some point you have to understand that none of that death was your fault. That falls squarely on the Superman of  _that_ universe. Let  _him_ deal with the guilt,  _not you._ Besides," Shazam grinned, a twinkle in his eyes. "Something tells me that my alternate self is glad that you showed up and did what you did." 

Clark furrowed his eyebrows at that, not understanding what the other hero meant. The way Shazam worded it made it sound like his other self was still...  _alive_ somehow, which was impossible. He helped  _bury_ that Shazam,  _bury_ that Billy Batson. Unless...

The Kryptonian chuckled to himself, glancing back at the sun, which was now fully over the horizon. The first birds were starting to sing their songs, and Smallville was officially waking up. For once, all the death that happened in a world so far from his own seemed just as distant, no longer tugging at his heart, and with Shazam flying next to him, he wondered if now he could possibly move  _on._

And now, he wondered if Billy Batson would be able to move on as well.                     


	7. Remember When

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- Remember When by Bad Wolves

Being stuck in a prison with next to nothing to do gave you a  _lot_ of time to  _think._ For some, it's a time of reflection and bettering yourself, for others it's a time for planning revenge. For Clark Kent, it's somewhere in the middle.

The first month or so he was trapped in this god forsaken prison, there was nothing but anger and rage that went through Clark's mind. Over and over again he imagined ripping limbs off of those who wronged him, over and over again he tried to find where it all went  _wrong._ Was it when Bruce decided to bring over the clones? When The Flash suddenly decided to switch sides? Was is sometime before, so far away that he wasn't even considering it?

After that first month, there was a lot of  _remembering._ Remembering times before the Regime, times when he thought there was no need to kill criminals, that every single one of their disgusting lives was worth  _saving._ Looking back on all of it, the Kryptonian finds himself trapped between longing for those simpler days and scolding himself and the other heroes for being so  _idiotic._ How could he have  _fought_ for people who constantly tampered with innocent lives? How could he have  _protected_ them, knowing full well what they're capable if and what they've done?

Maybe if he saw it all sooner, Lois would still be alive.

That's something he thought about everyday, even  _before_ he was forced into this prison. He conjured up different scenarios in his head, all trying to save the love of his life, but they all concluded one thing: the only way to have kept her safe was to destroy the problem in the first place. If Bruce had seen that sooner, had  _accepted_ that sooner, than the Joker never would have killed Lois, never would have nuked all of Metropolis.

But Clark was never one for wallowing in self pity, and soon he moved on to what he would do when he got  _out._ Because mark his words, he  _would_ get out soon enough, he  _would_ make sure the Regime lived to rule another day. He put too much time and work into everything, and he'll be damned before he lets it all crumble away. Sooner or later, someone would break him out of this prison, the red solar panels would malfunction,  _something._ He felt in in his very core. All he had to do was be patient.

Bruce showed up rarely, and often without the Bat suit. Never once did they actually say anything to each other, mostly because the other man never got close enough to talk  _to._ Bruce's dark eyes would sometimes hold his, but he would always break it after a few moments. It wasn't a sign of submission, Bruce looking away because he  _couldn't_ look at Clark, but Bruce looking away because he  _wanted_ to. He acknowledged Clark, and then he simply moved on. The Kryptonian didn't know how he felt about that.

Then, one day, Bruce brought these three people with him. Clark couldn't hear what was discussed (something that  _did_ bother him) but once the man left, the three stayed behind. The Kryptonian quickly found out that these three were now his 'guards' so to say, as they were there nearly all the time. They were two new heroes (yes,  _two_ new, seeing as the older man and the younger boy fused into one being) called Firestorm and Blue Beetle. They were the only excitement in Clark's silent life, though there were many days where he wished for the silence of his own mind again.

Clark stared up at the ceiling, trying not to focus on the thin mattress he was laying on. He didn't sleep much, never really needed to in the first place, but in endless hours like this he wished he did. At least the time would pass then, not these slowly ticking moments that were gradually wearing at his sanity. In fact, the Kryptonian was so alert and awake that he immediately noticed the slight shift in the atmosphere around him, the faint stench of electricity touching the air. He couldn't tell if it was from within his cell or out, but it was nearby, and it was getting stronger.

Without sitting up, Clark demanded, "who's there?" The air seemed to tense at that, the static receding until it was hardly there. The Kryptonian slowly sat up, trying to look passed the ever consuming glow of red that constantly surrounded him. He couldn't see anything, but he  _knew_ something was there. Something  _had_ to be there, or else he really  _would_ be starting to lose his mind. 

_"Do you remember any of the good memories we had?"_

The hairs on the back of Clark's neck stood straight up at the thin, broken sounding voice. It carried as though it were wind; fading in and fading out in a moment, echoing around you as you tried to find the source. It came from right in front of him as far as the Kryptonian could tell, but no matter how hard he stared that direction, he saw nothing. 

"I'm not going to ask again:  _who's. There,"_ Clark snapped, already done with whatever game was being played. Was Firestorm and Blue Beetle playing some sort of joke on him, trying to get a laugh out of his confusion? He never thought that those three would ever do something as elaborate as this, but even he's wrong every once and a while. 

_"You know who I am,"_ the voice replied after a moment.  _"Though, I can't say I know who **you** are anymore. Maybe I did once. Perhaps I never have. It's hard to tell anymore, with so many memories in my head."_

The Kryptonian grew steadily uneasier the longer the voice spoke, finding that it was somehow familiar, though he couldn't place  _why_ it was. His eyes caught the faintest bit of movement from where he thought the voice was coming from; the smallest sliver of electricity, arcing through the air and dissipating after a brief second. The next time Clark blinked, there was an outline of who he could only assume was the voice, but the face was blurred beyond recognition. But still, that tingling feeling that he  _knew_ this person grew stronger.

_"I did **so much** for you, Clark. I abandoned my friends, I let you tell me they were now enemies. I helped you take over the world so that you could keep it  **'safe,'** I let you become a tyrant. I thought I could stop you before you went too far... and I took my death for me to see that you went too far the second you decided that  **killing** was the right answer." _

Clark could feel anger grow in his chest the longer the person went on, simmering right below his skin. He's heard this lecture and speech many of times, and frankly, he was getting  _tired_ of it. "So you come here, where you know I'm trapped and can't fight back?  _Pathetic."_

The being frozen in place for a few seconds, so still that Clark almost thought it was gone, but then, without any warning, there was an explosion of electricity. None of it hit the Kryptonian since he was in the cell, but he could feel his hair singeing and ears pop from how close it was. The next time Clark blinked, it figure was in front of him, face fully seen, rage etched into every muscle. He stumbled back in shock, not believing what he was seeing, eyes wide.

_"You don't understand, **do you?"**_ Billy Batson screamed at him, his entire form sparking with lightning.  _"I did so much for you Clark, I did **everything** for you! I fought my friends, the entire Green Lantern Corps, being's from Hell! I battled  **gods** for you Clark, all because I  **believed** what you were saying was true. Do you even understand that, do you even  **care?!"**_

Clark found that he couldn't move a single muscle as he stared at the boy, no response coming from his mouth.

_"I used to ask myself, "what would Superman do?" Now I know. Now I know that you would kill anyone and anything without care, like you haven't known them for years, all for power."_ The boy's voice abruptly went quiet at his next words, tears streaming down his face.  _"You were everything I wanted to be, everything that I thought was **good** in this world... but you just threw it all away."_

Billy stepped forward, until he was nearly chest to chest with Clark. The Kryptonian barely dared to breathe.

_"I could kill you, right here, right now without any problem. I **should** do it, because I  **know,** sooner or later, in the next day or next 10 years, you  **will** get out again. And that thought  **terrifies** me." _Billy raised his hands, which looked like they were fused with pure electricity. They were filled with pure power, untouched and ready to be unleashed.  _"But... but I can't, because I know the moment I do that, I'll be just like you."_

The boy stepped back in the same second that both Firestorm and Blue Beetle bursted through the doors of the prison, looking ready for a fight. In his shock, Clark hadn't even noticed the alarms going off, but even as he looked down to where Billy had been only a second prior, the boy was gone. The only thing that remained of his presence was the pounding in Clark's chest and the smell of ozone left hanging in the air.

"What the Hell happened?" Firestorm demanded, flying forwards as he scanned the room.

The Kryptonian took a deep breath, sitting down on his bed as he attempted to sort through the swirling thoughts in his mind. Without even glancing at the two heroes, he laid down, facing away from them.

"Lets just say I had a visitor here to see me."             


	8. Not Strong Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- Not Strong Enough by Apocalyptica 
> 
>  
> 
> Oh, and this chapter starts to get into the story of Injustice 2, so incase you don't know it, basically Brainiac is coming to destroy Earth after he destroyed Krypton and they have to let out Clark to help beat him. Everything else should be explained.

Shazam knew something bad was coming for a long time.

It was just the nature of his being, to be there when bad things happened, put a stop to them in whatever way he can, to save Earth. Ever since he's been alive it's been like that, and well, it wasn't ever going to change. 

That's why he's known about Brainiac for a while now. About half a year before the alien actually showed up Shazam got this continuous feeling in his stomach, like something was very  _wrong._ At the time, he refused to think about it for long, seeing as to him, Billy was _much_ more important to think about. But now he couldn't ignore it any longer, not when he could  _see_ the horrible skull ship handing over the Earth, not when he knew Black Canary and Green Arrow were both trapped on that ship, nothing but puppets serving a master not even the Kryptonian's understood.

"What's wrong, Shazam?" the boy asked him gently, seeing the sickened look on his face. The Champion of magic debated how he should answer, if he should answer at all. The Earth  _needed_ someone who could take the heavy hits and still keep going, someone that could keep punching until there was an opening. As far as Shazam could tell, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Black Adam were still not working with Batman, along with the rest of the Regime members. Nightwing was still locked up with Superman, and not even Batman understood yet what was happening. As far as the Dark Knight was still concerned, the only thing that was currently happening of interest was Gorilla Grodd and his society.

If only he knew what was coming...

"Shazam," Billy shook the Champion, trying to get his attention. He didn't like the aura that was coming from Shazam, how  _dark_ and mournful it felt, tugging at his very soul. He knew this feeling, but he hasn't felt it in a  _long_ time, and it only meant bad news. 

"It's nothing, Billy," Shazam said quickly,  _too_ quickly. The boy knew the Champion well enough to realize that he was hiding something, after all, they were in each other's  _heads_ most of the time. And yet, if Shazam wasn't sharing whatever was wrong with Billy, then something must be  _seriously_ bad.

For a while, nothing else was said or mentioned about the incident. However, it was brought back in full force when Billy asked the Champion if he could go visit Harley for a little while. Before the words were even out of the boy's mouth Shazam refused his request, something that has never been denied from him before. In fact, every time Billy would ask to go back to Earth the Champion seemed almost  _delighted_ that he wanted to go, even if it was only for a short time. Now, his usually steady eyes were laced with panic and fear, his unease soaking into the very Rock that made up Eternity.

"Why can't I go?" the boy demanded, a little annoyed at the way the Champion was trying to keep important information away from him. He's never done this before, been so dodgy about telling Billy something. 

Shazam refused to meet his eyes, the normally bright blue color dulling slightly. He bit his lip before whispering, "Earth is under attack."

The words hung in the air, pressing onto Billy's shoulders like hundred pound weights. How could Earth be under attack so soon after recovering from the terrors that occurred such a short time ago? It was like the very gods hated this world, hated it so much that they were determined to watch it burn. Could they not get one moment of peace before they were thrown back into the heart of danger, the teeth of the wolves?

But there was more. Billy could see it on Shazam's face. And with a moment, the Champion continued.

"It's the same alien that blew up Krypton... and he's coming for Clark." Shazam swallowed, refusing to meet Billy's eyes. "Bruce... Bruce decided that the only to defeat the alien was to let Clark out of his prison and team up with the remaining members of the Regime."

All of the air was compressed out of Billy's lungs, feeling like his heart had stopped beating entirely. The Champion was still talking, but he could no longer hear him, the words turning into static in his jumbled mind.

Victor. Diana. Black Adam. Damian. Barry. Hal. Another Kryptonian, Clark's cousin that survived the explosion of Krypton. All of them and more joined together to try and take out this alien, the one Shazam called  _Brainiac._

He could barely process it all. The only thing that was on his mind was that Superman was  _out,_ and if they beat Brainiac, they would be back at square one. The Regime would be back, all of the horrible  _death_ would be back,  _it all would come back-_    

"-And I know you're still shaky about the whole being a hero again, Billy, but we could  _help_ them-"

_"No,"_ the boy snapped before he realized the words were on his tongue. "Ican'tIcan'tIcan'tI _can't-"_ he gasped, stumbling away from Shazam, wanting to be anywhere else, any world, any  _universe,_ anywhere that was far away from all this  _pain._ He couldn't be a hero again, not when everything still  _haunted him._ "I-I-I'm so  _weak,_ I'm not  _strong_ _enough,_ I'll just  _die_ all over again, and this time I won't come back. It'll just be  _dark_ and, and  _cold_ and-and-"

Ice that Billy hasn't felt in what felt like  _forever_ grew over his skin again, like it never really left, just waiting for his weakness to bleed through. It was so cold that he hardly registered Shazam's normally warm hands on his shoulders, trying to soothe him from his own mind. He just shivered, his own tears even refusing to burn down his cheeks, only leaving icy trails in their wake. 

"You  _are_ strong enough, Billy," Shazam was saying to him, ever so gentle, ever so comforting. "You're the strongest being I've ever  _known."_

_I don't know who you're talking about. I'm the **weakest** being I've ever known._

But he didn't say that. Billy just gave into the comfort the Champion was doing his best to give, hoping that sometime soon, the ice would fade away, that his heart would be free to beat without the remembrance of death touching it. Maybe soon. Perhaps never.

Either way, his tears didn't burn, and his skin didn't feel, leaving him a tomb walking through the seas of life.   


	9. The Old Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song- The Old Me by Memphis May Fire

The days were beginning to blend together again. Billy couldn't keep up with the time that had passed, only wander around the Rock of Eternity as he wondered but never dared to ask what was happening on Earth. He didn't want to hear about Superman or Wonder Woman or anyone else, not even about Harley or Batman. Most of the time he couldn't think passed the ice around his mind, swirling around in a never ending vortex of pain and old fears he thought were long gone.

The few times he managed to sleep were ugly and short. The nightmares came back with horrible force, showing him dying over and over again, each time by someone different, someone that he thought of, or  _once_ thought of, as a friend. Victor blasting a hole through his chest with his arm cannon. Diana cutting his throat with her sword. Harley strapping him to a chair lined with dynamite, laughing gleefully as she sets it off. Oliver putting an arrow into each limb, each joint, before finally staking one through his heart. Dinah screaming so loud that his nose bleeds and his organs fail. Hal punching him with yellow fists, a sinister grin on his face. Barry running with him in tow, his skin ripping off from the force of the wind and debris around him. Bruce hiding in the shadows, manipulating objects and gadgets that Billy can't see, each one leading him closer and closer to the giant metal crate hanging right above his head.

Shazam, striking him with lightning over and over again, anger burning in his eyes as he snarls hateful things at the boy, making sure he knew just how horrible of a vessel he was, how he was never meant to be the Champion of Magic. 

Each nightmare wore down on him more and more, thickening the ice in his veins, making it so hard to feel  _anything_ but the pain and fear. Shazam tried to help him, he really did, but there was nothing more he could do. Earth, his true  _home,_ had been helping him heal, but now, he couldn't go back, maybe  _ever_ if the heroes weren't successful in defeating Brainiac. 

No, Billy thought to himself, shaking his head. They  _had_ to be successful, they _will_ be successful. 

But what would happen after, with Superman and his Regime now back in the world? It took clones from a different universe to stop them before, so what would it take now? How much were they all willing to sacrifice in order for Superman to be back in a cell? Another five years of pure Hell? Another countless number of deaths? What would they do?

_If you decided to be a hero again, you could help with that outcome._

_No. Never again._

It was during one of these internal conversations with himself that the boy noticed something...  _odd_ going on in the Rock of Eternity. Billy's attention was suddenly caught by a shimmering outline in the rock, an outline that sparked and grew, like fire catching to a patch of leaves. He stared at it for several seconds, wondering what it could possibly be, when Shazam appeared right next to him, looking panicked. This greatly confused the boy, not understanding what was making the Champion so anxious, when the outline abruptly exploded, sending out a large wave of magic energy into the Rock of Eternity.

Billy blinked furiously to try and get the black spots out of his vision. The energy that was around him completely now, the energy that came from whatever that was, was the same type of energy and magic that came from Shazam and his lightning. But that couldn't be, because Shazam was right next to him, acting as if he had no idea what was going on. 

The boy took a step towards the source of the magic, seeing that the outline had turned into what looked like a door, showing a different world on the other side that looked strangely familiar. It was on the tip of his tongue, but before he could try and guess where it was, someone walked through the doorway, making any coherent thought leave his mind completely.

Black Adam, someone he hasn't thought about in so long, was now only five feet in front of him. 

 

 

Black Adam won't lie when he says Billy Batson is someone that he thinks about nearly everyday. 

For the longest time, he refused to think about the boy that was supposed to be his replacement, but in the end, he couldn't just  _ignore_ the hole he left when he was killed. He constantly reminded himself that there was a slim possibility that he was still alive, the spell Black Adam did giving Shazam time to take him away from Death before she took the boy passed the point of no return. But he had no idea how long the spell lasted, or if it even worked at all. His last minute attempt to save the boy could have been all for nothing.

Most people wouldn't understand the relationship between them, as odd and strained as it had been. At first, Black Adam absolutely  _hated_ Billy Batson, hated him with every fiber of his being. How could the Wizard think that a mere  _boy_ was fit to replace him, that he  _deserved_ to be given such immense power? 

That's what had fueled his rage for so long, what fueled his desire to destroy Billy Batson, no matter what it took. Even as he stayed in Kandaq more and more, even as he found the love of his life, that anger remained. 

And yet, being forced into the Regime by Superman... changed it somehow. At first it was the same it had ever been; cutting at each other's throats, the tension in whatever room they were in together sparking sharply. But slowly, with small exchanges and missions they were forced to do together, all of that suddenly began to... simmer down. It never went away entirely, it probably never would, but it was something.

But then the boy was idiotic enough to try and stand up to _Superman,_ and well, you know what happened from there. Black Adam found that the world was oddly  _empty_ without Shazam or Billy Batson, even as he tried to forget about their existence entirely. That was pretty much impossible however, seeing that his own power came from the Wizard.

For the last few days, the thoughts of Billy Batson were nearly nonexistent. He's been much too focused on breaking Superman out of prison and working with the heroes to take down Brainiac to be thinking about other things. This was a matter of the entire  _world_ being destroyed, and it was not a time for pesky distractions or anything else that might get in his way.

That's why when he walked through the portal to the Rock of Eternity with Aquaman and Blue Beetle at his side, intent on fulfilling his part of the plan to take down Brainiac, he didn't expect to come face to face with the boy. 

Billy Batson looked just like he did when he was killed, feeling like was so long ago, a memory that happened to the old him. He was still as scrawny as ever, his skin pale and blue eyes always bright. And yet, there was something dull and broken in those eyes, something that spoke of unspeakable horrors that no one would ever be able to understand.

Aquaman and Blue Beetle appeared next to Adam not a moment later, both of them instantly on guard at the sight of the boy. Adam put up his hand to show them to stand down, his eyes never leaving the boy's, who for so long he wasn't sure if he was dead or alive. 

He guessed now he knew the spell worked.

"Billy Batson," Adam said slowly and carefully, watching as the boy's eyes widened.

"I do believe it's been a long time since we've seen one another."    


	10. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while! Hope you all enjoy, even if it is kinda short. 
> 
> (Also I've never written Blue Beetle in my life so I hope I do okay)

Jaime Reyes wasn't sure what he expected when he walked into the portal that lead to the Rock of Eternity, but seeing a young boy on the other side definitely was  _not_ high on his list. He was just standing there on the other side, eyes wide as he stared intensely at Black Adam. Jami tensed, not sure if this boy was going to whip out a magical sword or something else like that. Was there a boy that guarded the magical Rock or something regularly, or was this something completely new?

From the look on Adam's face, it seemed that this was something completely new.

_He is so small,_ Scarab says in the back of his mind as Jami creates a cannon on his left arm while Aquaman narrows his eyes and tightens his grip on his triton.  _He would be subdued so easily._  

That might be true, but this boy could also turn out to be the most powerful guardian in the universe or something. If he was, Jami would be  _very_ tempted to ask him if he could come use his godly powers to help them take down the alien currently threatening to blow up Earth. It would save them all a  _lot_ of trouble.

But all of that goes out of his mind completely when Adam raises his arm to tell him and Aquaman to stand down, saying, "Billy Batson. I do believe it's been a long time since we've seen one another," and Jami's mind decides to flip on its axis. Because there was no way what Adam was saying what he thought he was saying, no way the  _words_ should have even come out of his  _mouth._ He's never met Shazam or even this Billy Batson that was supposed to be the guys vessel, but he sure as Hell knows they're supposed to be  _dead._ He's seen the monument in Fawcett City that honored the hero, he's heard the stories from everyone to Dinah to Bruce and even Harley. All of them talked about a young boy with a heart of gold that did everything he could to help those who couldn't help themselves, even if he was trapped on the wrong side of the Regime, a boy that was murdered by the monster he watched on a daily basis. Or,  _used_ to watch on a daily basis. With Superman no out and free from his cell, there was really no telling  _what_ was going to happen after all of this bullshit settled over. 

To make a long story short, Adam shouldn't be calling this kid  _Billy Batson,_ because Billy Batson was 6 feet under.

That it, unless there was some weird magic mumbo jumbo that was going on right now, which would explain why he was in the Rock of Eternity in the first place. 

Billy Batson, or whoever he was supposed to be, stumbled away from Adam, his wide eyes darting from Jami to Aquaman back to the magical being. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to say something but couldn't get his vocal cords to work. Adam's normally hard and stoic face softened slightly, which Jami thought once again, shouldn't be happening. If this really was Billy Batson, then the two should absolutely  _hate_ each other, they should be moral enemies that constantly fight thrill at the thought of the other dying.

Right?

But that wasn't what was going on right now, and Jami's brain was  _really_ starting to swim trying to figure everything out.

"Isn't uh, Billy Batson supposed to be, I don't know,  _dead_ or something? Like,  _dead dead?"_ Jami blurted out before he could stop himself, immediately noticing the way the boy flinched at his words. 

"I have to agree on that. How is it that he's here when many of us saw his body be buried in the ground?" Aquaman chimed in, still not lowering his trident. "Is this some magical trick or ploy?"

The boy was now turning his lead left and right, almost like he was desperately searching for something in the Rock. He was still backing away from the trio, towards a stone throne with many carvings in it. "W-w-what are you  _doing_ here?" he stuttered, his voice thin and watery sounding, like only part of it was being used. " _How_ are you here, _why_ are you just now coming here after so long,  _why-"_ he cut himself off, breath coming out in pants.

"Billy," Adam said gently, stepping towards the boy. "We don't have any time to explain much, but we need the Rock's power in order to stop Brainiac from destroying the Earth. I take it that Shazam's told you about that, right?"

Billy nodded, still looking around for something. "Y-yeah, he's told me about it. He- he was here just a minute ago, but he just disappeared all of a sudden. Why would he just leave..." the boy trailed off, a heartbroken look on his face. Once again, Jami was proven that he knows next to  _nothing_ about Adam and his relationship with his supposed nemesis when Adam placed a hand on Billy's shoulder, squeezing it in what looked like a comforting manor. The boy didn't even seem to mind it, as uncomfortable and freaked out as he acted.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon. As much as I'd love to talk a little bit more, Earth doesn't have much time to spare, and we have other counting on us. Come," Adam gestured with his head to his two allies, guiding Billy to the stone throne with an arm around his shoulders. Blue Beetle and Aquaman looked at one another before following, the former still half convinced that none of what they were seeing was real. No wonder Batman hates magic so much. 

The statues they passed were more than enough nightmare fuel to keep Jami going for a few months at least, and they were everywhere as they walked up to the throne. Once they were all there, Aquaman placed his trident on the ground, asking, "so how does this work exactly?"

"We imbue your trident with a spark of the Rock's power. When it's full might is released, it will seek out your weapon," Black Adam explained, the boy looking up at him with a confused look on his face. Jami had a feeling he wanted to ask something, but kept it on his tongue as the magical being sat on the throne, finishing up with, "your thoughts will guide the Wizard's power."  

Aquaman nodded, saying confidently, "I'm ready," and handing his trident over to Adam, who started to crackle with electricity. Jami took a small step back, not entirely sure he trusted the ancient magic filling the air, while Billy simply stared on as if this was the most normal thing that's ever happened to him. Who knows really, not Jami,  _that_ was for sure.

Adam's power grew quickly, but as the seconds went on, Jami found his thoughts going... fuzzy, like he was looking through water. There was a heavy weight on his mind dragging him down quickly and without any mercy, leaving the young hero motionless and caught in a dreamlike state that reminded him of that one time he got a  _really_ bad concussion, one that left him in bed for many days after. 

Before he could really make understanding of what it was, Jami's arm raised without his permission, turned into a cannon, and blasted Black Adam in the chest before his entire world went dark. 


	11. Friend Becomes Foe

Billy will admit that while he knows who Blue Beetle is, he doesn't know much about the hero besides that he was brought in by Batman and guarded Superman's prison. He seemed friendly enough, seemed like overall he was a reasonable hero that had a bright future ahead of him. 

That's why when Blue Beetle blasted Black Adam in the chest with a cannon, Billy was suddenly thinking that something was wrong. There was a heavy presence that abruptly filled the Rock of Eternity, an unwelcome and terrible presence that should have never entered the Rock in the first place, and yet, somehow it did. And this presence was all around Blue Beetle, holding his limbs and mind in a vice grip.

"Beetle, what are you doing?!" Aquaman demanded, not noticing the look on Billy's face as the presence got stronger, filling him with dread. 

_Shazam, where are you? I need your help, there something wrong here and we need your help._

But there was no response from the Champion. Why would there be? He just disappeared the second the three heroes showed up, leaving him all alone for the first time since he came back. Sure, Adam was someone he could feel at ease with to a certain degree, but it still wasn't the same as Shazam's.

"My bidding," echoed a deep voice from the right side of the rock, a voice that very much sounded familiar in the boy's ears. His heart rate began to pick up as the owner of the voice revealed themself, each footstep sending small shockwaves through Billy's feet. The Rock almost  _growled_ at them, unable to do anything without the help of the Champion that guarded it. The boy's eyes widened, recognizing the form of Gorilla Grodd, a villain he hasn't heard about in many years, since before the Regime. But neither Black Adam or Aquaman seemed surprised that Grodd was here, a place that no one besides those who possessed the power of Shazam were able to enter.

"A sleeper agent, to lead you here," Adam growled lowly, his fingers tightening on the stone throne as Grodd grew closer.

"Despite the power of his Scarab, the boy was easily manipulated. Now Jaime, kill them!" Grodd demanded, stepping away.

Both Black Adam and Aquaman braced themselves for a fight, staring off the younger hero who was their ally only a minute ago. Billy's eyes darted from the retreating Grodd to Blue Beetle, wondering fearfully if he could be controlled as well. He never liked mind control, mainly because many magic users were rather vulnerable to it, and without the power of Shazam Billy might as well be a beacon for telepaths, those who could sense his great power without being able to put up a fight.

Adam seemed to hear Billy's thoughts, his stormy eyes briefly catching the boy's before glancing at his companion. The magical being and the Atlantean king appeared to come to some sort of agreement, and while Adam stepped forward to deal with the mind controlled Blue Beetle, Aquaman stepped back towards Billy. Blue Beetle's form constantly twitched under the control of Grodd, his arm taking the shapes of dozens of weapons as he regarded Adam.

"So many ways to kill you," Beetle hissed, his voice layered with both Grodd's and his own. Billy winced at the sound, looking away from what was soon to be a fight. Even as he sensed Aquaman's form right in front of him, the king acting as his guard, he refused to look, anxiety prickling at his stomach. This entire situation was too wrong, yet at the same time, all too familiar. 

"The Scarab's gimmicks are no match for the Rock of Eternity," Black Adam growled in response, the familiar sizzling of magical lightning filling the air, amplified in power because of its proximity to the Rock. Billy had no doubt that Adam could take down Beetle easily because of how much power was currently flowing through him, but the boy still wasn't sure either way. Adam wouldn't  _hurt_ Blue Beetle, would he? He wouldn't hurt his ally, an ally that had no control over their actions and was at the mercy of a villain?

Billy didn't know. There were so many things he didn't know. 

The boy kept his eyes squeezed shut as the fierce sounds of fighting filled his ears. The cracking of lightning, a whirl of a blade slicing through the air, all of it made Billy tremble and struggle to stay upright. He hasn't been near a battlefield in so long, and now he wished he was as far away from the Rock as possible, anywhere to get away from the horrible sounds of both sides being hit and hitting back. Aquaman's muscles stayed tense the entire time, but never once did he move to help Adam, staying right by Billy's side where he promised to be. 

Finally, after what felt like years in Billy's mind, the sounds of fighting ceased and Aquaman's form relaxed slightly, like he was relieved it was over as well. The boy swore he heard the Adam say, "child's play," but everything afterwards went too fast for him to keep up. Grodd roared in anger, and before Billy could blink Aquaman was running at the telepath, trident poised to stab. Grodd forced one of the statues up with his mind, sending it straight for the king, but Adam struck it down with lightning before it could hit.

The two heroes stood side by side, the Atlanten giving the magic being a thankful look. Grodd stalked forward, a rather smug look on his face even though his puppet was defeated. "Look at us," he jeered. "Three kings."

"A  _king,_ Grodd? You're a  _brute,"_ Aquaman scoffed, disgusted that this creature even considered himself a  _king,_ a title that he was far from worthy of.

"A true leader serves his people. You only serve  _yourself,"_ Adam added, a sneer crossing his face.

"Be that as it may, I will be the only one who leaves this cave," the telepath's horrible eyes locked on Billy, a smirk on his face. The boy felt frozen in his spot, unable to do anything but watch the interaction. If he was braver, he would be helping the heroes right now, not waiting on the sideline like a coward. "And with the boy alive, I'll be the only one with the power to control the Wizard."

Black Adam snarled at Grodd, his fist clenching and sparking with angry lightning. "You will  _never_ touch him as long as I stand, you vile ape." Adam and the Atlantean began to move as one towards the telepath, but before they could do anything, jagged rocks from the ceiling came barreling down on top of them, the energy field around them showing that it was Grodd who controlled them. Aquaman was able to rise with minimal injury, but Adam was trapped under a pile of ancient stone, unable to move. 

The king seemed to not notice this, stalking to Grodd with a sense of power. "You hurt my people, Grodd. In their name I will have  _justice."_       

The sounds of fighting picked up once more, but this time, Billy wasn't focused on it. Instead, he ran to the pile where Adam was trapped, a tingling sense of panic at the base of his spine. Logically he knew the magical being would be fine, but his heart couldn't seem to care less about that. All it knew was that someone he cared about was possibly hurt, and it needed to be reassured that he was okay.

The boy dropped to the ground in front of the rocks, desperately trying to push away any of them. The larger pieces refused to budge, and Billy was only able to get smaller pebbles and dust to move. It was rather pathetic, especially when the thought about how easy Shazam would be able to do this with the strength of Hercules. If the Champion was here, Grodd wouldn't even be a problem, and the telepath would be long gone.

Just when Billy was about to collapse from the amount of energy he used to push at the rocks, the shakening sound of something large hitting the floor vibrated through the Rock. The boy glanced over, seeing Gorilla Grodd laying limply on the ground, barely moving while Aquaman remained tall and proud. It didn't take long to realize who had won the fight. 

At the same time, something below the rocks shifted, and a moment later Black Adam was pushing away the ancient stone like it was nothing. Like Billy expected, the magical being was fine, but he still sighed in relief. 

"Are you alright?" the boy whispered, exhausted from worry and exertion. Adam nodded, a determined look  hardening on his face when he saw Aquaman standing over Grodd. Billy helped him stand up, watching as Adam stalked over to Grodd to join the Atlantean. A sour feeling erupted in the boy's stomach as Aquaman turned the telepath on his back, his spine tingling with anticipation for something he didn't know.

"Stupid... humans," Grodd panted out, not even able to fight back. The look on the king of Atlantis's face went blank, and with a swift movement he raised his trident, thrusting it into Grodd's abdomen. The telepath screamed out in pain, Billy gasping as his knees gave out underneath him. Aquaman looked  _murderous,_ twisting the trident in Grodd's hide with something that almost looked like satisfaction. 

"The people of Atlantis demand  _justice,"_ the king seethed, pulling the trident out. Billy couldn't stop trembling, his eyes refusing to look anywhere else but the bleeding out body of the villain. Though, he was starting to wonder if Grodd was the only villain present in the Rock.

"Against Brainiac? I've seen his mind, felt his power. He can't be stopped," Grodd choked out, life steadily leaving his body. 

"But  _you_ can," Aquaman retorted, a tone of finality in his voice. A desperate  _no_ fell from Billy's lips as the king forced the trident in again, pushing deeper than before.

Another cry came from Grodd, but seconds later it was gone, leaving behind the dead body of the Gorilla King.

      


	12. A Reason to Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first came up with the idea to this fic, this is one of the first scenes that popped into my mind and inspired me to write it. It's fun to finally put it into words.

_Blood._

_There's so much blood._

Those were the only thoughts that could successfully make it through Billy's head without falling apart, the only thing his eyes could see. His ears were ringing in protest, his nose filled with the familiar metallic scent, the nerves his his hands and legs going numb. This was far from the first time Billy's seen a murder, seen someone take the life away from another living being up close, but it  _was_ the first time he's seen it since he appeared in the Rock of Eternity. He had almost forgotten what it was like, but now, the boy knew that the smell would never leave his nostrils, knew that the sight of light leaving someone's eyes would forever haunt him. He couldn't be fixed, not in the way Shazam wanted him to be fixed, not in the way the world  _needed_ him to be.

Billy Batson was  _broken._ He's been broken for a  _long_ time, but now, the cracks were covering him, unable to be ignored by anyone who looked at him. And now, he realized those cracks would only be getting bigger, never to heal, never to grow back together again. 

The Rock of Eternity was achingly silent in the boy's mind, something that surprised him a lot more than it should have. The Rock had turned silent the moment Shazam disappeared, the moment Black Adam stepped a foot on the ancient stone. His perfect little safe haven where nothing bad should have been able to reach him was corrupted, just as cracked and broken as Billy was, stained with the blood of an intruder that never should have been there in the first place.

_There's so much **blood.**_

"Billy?" Black Adam was saying, the magical being kneeling right in front of the boy. Billy knew Adam was there, close enough to touch if he reached his arm out, but for whatever reason he felt so far away. He knows from past memories that Adam would kill if he felt he absolutely had to. There was a particular memory that was nagging at him, one that he hasn't thought about in years. It was during the early days of the Regime, before the voice of Shazam had begun to fade away from his mind, before the clones were brought from another world. He, Wonder Woman and Superman had just captured Black Adam, intent on stopping the being from going on a murderous rampage. Wonder Woman had her lasso around Adam's neck, commanding him to say the word that would turn him back into a mere mortal. Even a being as powerful as Black Adam couldn't resist the Lasso's power, but before he said it, Adam had looked at him with a pleading look in his eyes, something Billy's never seen before on Adam's face.

"Billy," he had gasped, gripping his wrist. "Protect Kandaq,  _promise_ me you'll protect Kandaq-" he thrashed in the Amazon's hold as she put more power into the Lasso. _"SHAZAM!"_   

"Billy, can you hear me?" asked Adam, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. There was no malice in the gesture, his hand nothing but gentle and slow, but Billy still flinched away from it, finally able to squeeze his eyes shut and get away from the blood. 

Black Adam's killed many people before, he reminded himself, but that didn't make him feel better at all. If anything, it made him feel worse, a nauseating ache growing in his stomach. Why did he expect Adam to change after all these years, expect him to be any different? Especially just for him, someone he hasn't seen in nearly two years and up till an hour ago thought he was dead? There was no reason to feel the way he did.

But the blood... he could practically  _taste_ the blood... 

... dripping into his mouth, hot and thick... his eyes burning not with tears but with-

Billy shook his head violently, trying to get the image out of his head. The burning blood in his mouth disappeared, but the smell was still very much there, taunting him. Adam was trying to put his hand on the boy's shoulder again, but once more Billy flinched away, abruptly opening his eyes wide and staring the magical being in the eye, noticing the concerned look on his face.

But that concern didn't matter to him anymore. "You will do whatever you must do to defeat Brainiac, and then you will leave immediately," Billy demanded, surprised at the strength and harshness in his own voice. Adam opened his mouth like he wanted to say something in reply, but quickly snapped in shut when he saw the look on the boy's face. He stood up, glancing over at Aquaman who nodded. Adam waved his hand, creating the same portal he and the others came through, and the Atlantean king ran through it, no longer in the Rock of Eternity. The magical being looked back down at Billy, an almost regretful look on his face. But the boy knew that wasn't  _really_ what Adam was feeling.

After all, he knew Adam well enough to say that he simply didn't feel regret. Disappointment maybe, rage over a failure, sure, but never regret. "Do you..." the magical being started off softly, his voice barely reaching Billy's ears. "Do you ever plan on coming back to Earth?"

There was thick silence in the Rock for many moments, the ancient stone seemingly leaning in to listen, like it too was interested in the boy's answer. Billy's eyes left Adam's. "I have."

"That wasn't my question," Adam shot back instantly, not missing a beat. "Do you or do you not plan on coming back to Earth and living there? Do you or do you not plan on using the Wizard's power to protect the world?"

"There's nothing for me there... not after everything that's happened," Billy hushed, squeezing his eyes together again. "The world hates me, all of my former allies are either my enemies or can't stand the sight of me, and... I don't think I could ever be Shazam again, not like the world needs. I'm too broken. There's not reason for me to fight."

"Oh, Billy," Adam says somberly, tucking a strand of the boy's dark hair behind his ear. "You of all people should know there's  _always_ a reason to fight, no matter what the world thinks of you, no matter how many times you've been punched to the ground, no matter how much you want to lay down and give up. I know you well enough that those flaws, those things that make you broken,  _that's_ what makes your heart so strong. You refuse to give in to the darkness that constantly surrounds you... I know I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through with dying and coming back... but I do know that you  _will_ get through it. And I think when that day comes, when you finally decide stay on Earth, you will find out how much it's missed you. Fawcett City just hasn't been the same without you there."

The boy's eyes snapped open, looking at Adam with a shocked look on his face. "You- you've been watching over Fawcett?"

The magical being shrugged, a small smile on his face. "As much as I could. After all, you took care of my home when I wasn't able to... so I thought I might as well return the favor."

Billy swallowed, trying to take in everything Adam's told him. Maybe there would be a day when he returned to Earth, one day where he would say the Wizard's name with the intent to wield his power... but it couldn't be now. 

"Thank you for that, truly. But I can't, not right now. I still have a few things to sort through before that day comes," he finally replied. Adam pursed his lips together, but accepted the answer, standing up and offering his hand to Billy. The boy took the warm hand, letting it pull him up. "Now, I do believe you needed to save the world?"

"There are very few times when the world  _doesn't_ need saving."

Adam walked back to the throne, and Billy forced himself not to look at Grodd's body, which was already fading away due to the Rock's magic. It just didn't belong here, and now with no soul to tether it down, it would soon no longer be apart of any world. That didn't mean the stench of blood would be going away any time soon.

This time, when Adam started sparking with powerful lightning, it grew and grew, covering his entire body with it. Billy stood back as the magical being gripped with arms of the throne, unable to look away. With a mighty call of,  _"SHAZAM!"_ a bolt of lightning struck Adam, ricocheting off of him and through the portal, hitting whatever was on the other side. There were so many questions Billy had about what was going on with Brainiac and why they were even here in the first place, but he held his tongue. There wasn't any time if what Shazam told him was true.

After about a minute of the continuous lightning, it finally stopped, leaving behind a slightly smoking Adam. He stood up from the throne and brushed off some excess ash that was on his shoulders. He then walked over to where Blue Beetle was still passed out, picking the young hero up in his arms.

"I guess this is goodbye," Adam said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"For now," the boy corrected, a smile twitching on his face, causing Adam to smile back.

"For now."

Black Adam gave one last good look at Billy Batson before he walked through the portal, the magical entrance closing behind him, once again leaving the boy alone in the Rock of Eternity. He shouldn't have been alone, but he was. The only thing that accompanied him were the statues and the fading metallic smell of blood.

Finally unable to help himself, Billy looked over to the place where Grodd's body was supposed to be, his stomach clenching at what he found.

The body was gone. But his blood was still stained deep within the rock.              


	13. Return of a Lost Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we're skipping to the end of Injustice 2, so a quick rundown of what's going on: Aquaman and Black Adam went to the Rock of Eternity along with Blue Beetle to hopefully conduct a strong enough electrical current that would disable Brainiac's ship, and succeeded. Then Batman, Supergirl, and Superman board Brainiac's ship, and defeat him to make a long story REALLY short. All of the heroes gather together and debate whether or not they should kill Brainiac bc he has many of their cities held hostage (another long story) and of course they all start duking it out. Now Bats and Supes are fighting each other, the last battle in the entire game. Okay, that should be it!

They all knew it would always end here, one way or another. Bruce Wayne would have been foolish to think otherwise. But then again, he's been the fool before, so this time wouldn't be much different. Even as he took down Aquaman, Black Adam, and then Wonder Woman, he hoped deep in his heart that it still wouldn't have to go down like this, that maybe they would go back to the way things used to be so long ago, when the world actually made sense.

But now, as he stalks over to the man he once called a friend, who was standing over his cousins knocked out form, he realized all of that was a fool's wish. There was no other way it could have ended but this: him and Clark, fighting each other for the last time, one way or another. That fate was solidified the moment he decided they couldn't defeat Brainiac without the Kryptonians help, hell, the moment he put Clark in that prison in the  _first_ place. There was too much unfinished business not addressed by them, too much anger and history to be ignored. They were both ticking time bombs that were waiting for the other to go off first.

And yet, as Clark rose from his crouched position, Bruce couldn't help but feel like maybe, somewhere, somehow, there was a chance all of that could change.

"Fighting on the same side, it felt like old times," the Kryptonian said fondly, his eyes going distant. "But I guess we always knew it would end this way."

"Do you remember that night, when you told me Lois was pregnant?"

Clark chuckled, running a hand through his brown hair as the distance in his eyes went content. "You knew, even before I said anything."

Bruce glanced down at the floor, suddenly find that he could meet his once friend's eyes, the weight crushing him on his chest. "That was a good memory," came from the vigilante's lips before he realized it, but he didn't regret saying it either. 

"From another lifetime."

Bruce looked back up at Clark, whispering, "I miss the people we were then."

The calm in the Kryptonians eyes changed them, and for a split second, his eyes flashed red. "Me too."

Before Bruce could even blink, Clark charged at him, slamming his fist into the vigilante's chest, sending him flying back. Bruce growled lowly as he pushed himself up, watching as Clark's eyes once again began to glow red hot. "Quit, Bruce, you can't win," he insisted, a note of pleading in his voice as if he too were tired of their constant fighting, tired of the world around them that kept dealing them this shitting hand. But there was no way in Hell Bruce was backing down now, not after how many friends he's watched die, after how many he's lost.

"You of all people know, Clark. I  _never_ quit." 

The fight that followed afterwards was easily the hardest one Bruce has ever fought, even if his armor was lined with the energy sucking Kryptonite. It wasn't the physicality of it; the fact that Clark was literally stronger than him in every way and could break him easily. He's fought too many beings with that same description to be afraid of it now, no, it was the  _mentality_ of it that was starting to wane on the vigilante's words. This used to be his  _friend,_ someone he could trust with his  _life,_ but now he no longer could. Not after Joker, Dick, Tim and the remaining Titans, Oliver, Billy, and everyone else who died at the Kryptonians hands, all for the sake of  _protection_ and  _security._

Yet, even with all of that in mind, the sick feeling that had pooled in Bruce's stomach only grew as the battle raged on between them. It didn't matter that he was looking at a  _monster,_ something deep in heart wanted Clark to still be that person he could trust, still be that friend that told him his wife was pregnant, and he wanted Bruce to be the godfather.

And that, in the end, is why Bruce Wayne ended up on his knees, the blood soaked floor reflecting light around him. If he looked hard enough, he could see Clark's reflection burned into the blood.

"You're going to have to kill me," the vigilante managed to choke out, looking the Kryptonian dead in his eyes. "I'll never stop unless you do."

Clark's head tilted to the side as he considered this, and Bruce watched as a bead of blood ran down the side of his former friends face, the cut that caused it the result of Bruce managing to slice him with his Kryptonite weapons. It didn't bring the satisfaction he assumed it would have.

"I know," Clark finally replied, his voice shockingly quite in the echoing Bat Cave. "Which is why I'll give you the mercy of a painless death, with no one but you and me as the observers. I think it would be better that way."

Once again, before Bruce's human eyes could catch up with it, Clark was right in front of him, both hands reaching down to grasp the humans neck in a firm grip. He slowly raised Bruce until his feet weren't touching the ground, and all he could do was hang there at the monsters mercy. In all honesty, Bruce thought of all the ways he thought he would have gone, this wasn't as bad. It still made his heart constrict uncomfortably, still made him wish that things could've been different, but in the end, it wasn't so bad.

Clark's hands tightened, cutting of the vigilante's air flow. Bruce refused to choke, using his hard earned self control to continue to look his former friend in the eye, never once wavering. The look on the Kryptonians face was perfectly blank, but still Bruce could tell that his eyes were struggling to do the same. 

"I guess this is goodbye."

There was no response. No use one wasting what little air you have left.

"In the end, I'm glad I knew you, even if you did bring me a lot of pain. Sometimes perfect things are meant to be broken."

Once again, there was nothing as Bruce's face steadily grew red from lack of air. Still, he did not squirm or resist the hold, submitting to his fate, however horrible that may be. 

"Goodbye old friend." 

The hands tightened even more, bones beginning to crack, Clark's muscles tensed and ready to snap his neck-

When a sudden and blinding light abruptly threw the Kryptonian backwards, the light causing him to lose his grip on Bruce's neck. The vigilante fell to the ground, gasping for the large amount of air he lost, his neck slowly uncompressing itself as it went back to its rightful shape. His blurring vision cleared slightly as he stared to where Clark was lying on the ground, trying to push himself up. But that's not where Bruce's vision focused on, no, not at all.

He was focused on the figure standing in  _front_ of Clark.

_"You won't touch him!"_ the figure yelled, their entire form drenched in electricity and lightning, so much so that it was nearly impossible to see any feature they possessed.  _"You won't touch or hurt anyone ever again!"_

Clark, with some difficulty, managed to look up at the figure, his eyes turning confused. "How..." he croaked out, unable to fight back or move away as they grew brighter, sparks flying in every direction. 

Then, said with enough force to shake the entire foundation of the Bat Cave, the figure shouted out,  ** _"SHAZAM!"_**

A heartbeat later, the largest bolt of lightning Bruce has ever seen struck both the figure and Clark, making the brightness too unbearable to look at. Bruce's eyes danced with dark spots as he squeezed them shut, his body being singed by the proximity of the bolt. What felt like an eternity later, it all abruptly stopped, leaving the Bat Cave the way it was before. Bruce took in a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, opening his eyes. The silence was deafening, and the vigilante couldn't help it when his mouth opened it shock.

It wasn't at the fact that Clark had vanished, only a small burnt area to show where he once was, or even that the Cave was still intact after the wave of what had been undoubtedly magic ran through it, no. It was at the figure that he could now see, a figure so familiar it  _hurt._

_There's no way that's him... it just can't be possible._

But it was. The red and gold uniform, fluttering white cape, and sparking electricity around the form revealed all Bruce needed to know. The figure turned around, revealing his glowing blue eyes and thick dark hair, every muscle in his face tense. Bruce found himself walking forward without his permission, stopping in his place when he saw the figure flinch and stumble back, pain crossing his handsome features in a way the vigilante has never once seen before. His blue eyes went downcast, hands trembling with fear that shouldn't exist, not if Bruce knew the person that face belonged to. He took another step towards him, trying to catch the figures eyes once more, but he refused to look up.

Bruce was now close enough to touch him, carefully placing a calm hand on the others shaking shoulder. He was usually taller than the vigilante, but like this, he looked so  _small,_ so  _fragile_ in a way he  _shouldn't_ be. 

But what could he say about someone who came back from the dead?

"Billy? Is that really you?"

The owner of the name darted to look up at him, the shaking growing  _stronger._ He shook his head rapidly, scrambling away from the vigilante.  _"No no no,"_ he was mumbling under his breath, staring down at his gauntlet lined hands.  _"No no **no."**_

"Billy-"

But Bruce was already too late. In the blink of an eye the form of Shazam disappeared, leaving Bruce alone in the Bat Cave.

All alone. Just how he started. Only this time, he didn't welcome the silence.              


	14. Questions With Few Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This fic will be wrapping up very soon, so I hope you enjoy!

After the events of the past few days finally seemed to calm down, Bruce Wayne's mind was still racing as fast as Barry's legs could carry him when he was hungry towards the smell of pizza. 

So far, everything looked to be coming together, even if in the end it was rather messy. Black Canary, Green Arrow, Firestorm, Swamp Thing, and Blue Beetle were now cleared of any previous mind control affects from Brainiac, as well with anyone else who had been under the aliens control. Supergirl helped them track now the remaining members of the Regime, completely abandoning the alliance she once had with them after finding out what they really did to Earth all those years ago. Victor, Damian, and Diana were all found, captured, an put back into prison where they belonged, though Black Adam mysteriously disappeared. More than likely back to Khandaq, if Bruce had to make a guess. 

The other villains like Captain Cold and Poison Ivy that had been working with Gorilla Grodd, and in relation Brainiac, were also taken cared of. There was nothing they could do to send Eobard Thawne back to his timeline, but they could keep him somewhere where he could never hurt anyone ever again. 

Everything was going back to  _some_ sort of normality. It was far from perfect, but it helped the people of Earth feel  _safe_ again, reassurance that their heroes won and were helping them once again. It would be so easy for Bruce to just  _relax_ and go back to what he had been  _before._

But he couldn't. Thoughts about Clark and Billy were still flooding to his mind, waking him up from sleep, causing him to space out at random moments. He had too many questions, and no real way to answer them. He still hadn't gone to anyone to tell him what happened, because really, who would know anything about this? As far as the world was concerned, both Shazam and Billy Batson were dead, and no sightings of him have been reported in years. Not even Brother Eye, who was programmed to pick up on any magical disturbances, hadn't picked up anything that would relate to the magical hero.

Bruce splashed water on his face, trying to bring back some sense of order to his thoughts. He could still clearly see the look on Barry's face when he told the vigilante why he suddenly decided to leave the Regime, how heartbroken and  _defeated_ he sounded. Frankly, Bruce hadn't believed him at first, after all, Clark would never hurt a  _child,_ would he? Billy  _adored_ the older hero, had since before everything went to shit. 

But then he saw the body. Then he saw the two burnt holes into the body's head. Then he buried the body, and put a statue above it to remember the fallen hero of Shazam. Billy didn't have a funeral. No one ever knew what the kid did to protect the world. It was almost too easy to fabricate a story about where the boy was, how he had disappeared without a trace, and most likely died.

Bruce wondered if anyone in Fawcett City even  _cared_ that Billy Batson had died. They very much cared that Shazam was gone, but the vigilante didn't know of anyone who would mourn the loss of a boy no one even wanted to take in. It was something that never sat well in Bruce's stomach, but now it was like a stone trying to claw up his throat. How long has Billy still been alive, alone while everyone in the world assumed he was dead?  _Did_ anyone else know that the boy was still alive, or was this the first time anyone's seen him in so many years? And what did he do to Clark?

He had to know. He had to have  _answers._

That's why the nest time the Justice League got together (God, it was still so  _weird_ to think of it that way) Bruce decided that he was going to bring it up. So far, everyone had been accepting of his story that he sent Clark into the Phantom Zone, though he had his suspicions that that many of them didn't believe him, especially Supergirl. When the day of the meeting came, and Bruce stood to address the heroes around him, he found himself freezing in place, unsure with how to continue. It seemed so  _easy_ to do, but the words only boiled his throat. 

Bruce took a deep breath, centering his focus to clear his head. Then, with surprisingly clarity and lack of resistance, Batman said, "Shazam is alive."

There was total silence for many moments, the air stung tense and brittle as the information sunk in with the heroes there. The room then erupted into chaos, voices layering on top of one another until Bruce couldn't tell who was saying what. He kept his face perfectly blank behind his cowl, doing his best not to look at the heroes around him, all of them with their faces contorted into shock and disbelief. In all honesty, Bruce didn't really blame them.

However, there were two people that didn't react that way at all. Both Harley Quinn, Barry, and Jaime remained silent in their seats, Harley with a knowing but soft smile on her face while Barry's paled a shade under his cowl, looking deeply uncomfortable. Jaime dodge eye contact with the Bat, rubbing the back of his head nervously. They knew something about this, Bruce realized, narrowing his eyes at the three. Though what it was remained to be seen.

"Silence," Bruce commanded darkly, instantly quieting down the heroes. Bruce resisted the urge to sigh.

After a few more moments, Green Arrow spoke up. "Look Bruce, I trust you and all, but doesn't that seem a little, I don't know,  _out of the realm of possibility?_ I know people can be resurrected and all that, but many of us here  _watched_ Shazam be  _buried,_ including me." The vigilante titled his head towards the archer. It was easy to forget that this man wasn't of this universe, was one of the clones that Bruce brought over to help stop the Regime the first time around. While this universe's true Oliver Queen knew nothing of Shazam or Billy Batson's death, this one was well aware of every detail. 

"I know it sounds impossible," Batman stated. "But Shazam,  _and_ Billy Batson, are alive. It seems that no new Champion of Magic was chosen after Billy died. He is... he is the one that helped me defeat Clark. He appeared out of nowhere and did... something to Clark. I'm still not sure."

The silence echoed in the hall for another moment, Firestorm's voice cutting through a moment later. "I thought you said you defeated him on your own."

"I did."

"You said you put Superman into the Phantom Zone."

Bruce held his eye contact with Firestorm. "I did."

Firestorm's eyes glowed brighter. "Why did you lie to us?"

The heroes waited for an answer, the tension in the room becoming electrifying. It was a good question, all things considered, one that they deserved to have answered.

"I wasn't entirely sure what had happened, and therefore wanted to see if I could gather any new information that would answer my questions. Unfortunately, I could not find any, and so I came here to share and hope that with your help it could get somewhere." Bruce took a step back from the table, making sure everyone in the room could see him. "Look, I know what I did was betrayal of trust, but I need everyone's help. I know some of you never knew Billy Batson, or Shazam, but he was one of the good ones, even if he was with the Regime. If somehow he's alive but can't get back... well, lets just say, I think he deserves to  _be_ back. The world could use more heroes like him."

The heroes in the room considered them, many thinking deeply in thought as they absorbed everything being thrown at them. Then, from the back of the hall, came a voice.

"I may know a thing or two about li' Billy being alive."           


	15. Some Answers

Bruce's eyes immediately went to the voice that said that, finding Harley Quinn's sparkling eyes meeting his own. That soft smile was still on her face, though now that he looked closer, Bruce could also see the lingering regret and hurt present there. The vigilante knew about Harley's odd little friendship she and Billy gained over the years, how she tried to convince the boy to switch sides but ultimately failed. She still felt guilty for his death, no matter what he said to try and convince her otherwise.

_"It's not your fault,"_ he remembers saying to her, rubbing her back as she cried and cried.

_"No,"_ she had sobbed.  _"It's all of our faults."_

It took Harley nearly a year to finally move on from Billy's death, or, at least function  _normally_ without breaking down into tears at random moments. Bruce suspected she never truly moved on, just got better at hiding it, but what could he say? Harley was going out, befriending everyone she could, using the freedom she hasn't had since before she met and fell in love with Joker and just enjoying  _life._

"What do you mean you might know something about Billy?" Bruce demanded, though Harley never once flinched at his voice. She never really has, and she probably never would.

Harley fingertips were tracing patterns on the table, staring at Bruce without a flicker of doubt anywhere. "A little while back, I saw him when me and Dinah were out shopping. He was flickering in and out like a ghost or somethin,' but I was able to find him and talk for a little while. He was so  _sad..."_ Harley too a breath, her expression going wistful. "He told me he didn't want anyone else knowing that he was still alive, so I never said anything, 'cause I could never break a promise to him. But I guess it isn't a secret anymore since showed up to you, Bats."

"I- uh-" Barry started, looking highly uncomfortable but determined. He refused to meet anyone's gaze, but his voice still went strong. "I'm pretty sure I saw him to, at one point. I thought I was just hallucinating at the time... but now I think what happened was very much real." He glanced up at Bruce momentarily. "I happened when I was still awaiting trial, after a nightmare or something. I nearly forgot it even happened."

Jaime coughed, making Bruce's attention go to the young hero. He was fiddling with his hands and was much less confident in himself when he spoke. "I  _probably_ should have mentioned this before, but uh, you remember when Grodd used his mind control to make me think you guys sent me to help Aquaman and Black Adam?" Jaime asked shakily. Bruce nodded, making a  _go on_ gesture. "Well, you see, when we went to the Rock of Eternity, there was this boy there, a boy Adam called 'Billy.' The whole thing completely slipped my mind once I was back to myself."

Huh. So this is how these three had been related to Billy. I made more sense now, though it still left some room for questions.

"So how long has he been around? Harley, it seems that you met him first. How long ago was that?" Bruce asked her, finally feeling like he was getting somewhere. If he could just a get a few more answers...

Harley tilted her head to the side, thinking. "I'd say it was a little over a year ago by now, quite a long time if I do say so myself. Occasionally he did visit me, though they usually far apart from one another. I was never able to talk to him again, but he was definitely  _there."_

Bruce nodded, going over to Jaime. "And you said you saw Billy at the Rock of Eternity?"

The young hero nodded, clearly thinking back to the moments when he saw Billy Batson. "But he was nothing like the stories like some of you guys tell sometimes. He was  _really_ jumpy and flinched a lot when we came too close too suddenly. And his eyes... if I hadn't seen him move and talk with my own eyes, I'd think that boy was still dead with how  _empty_ his eyes were. It was nearly creepy."

"How old was Billy when you encountered him?"

"I'd say around 15 or 16 maybe? It's kinda hard to tell, especially with how skinny he was, like looking at a walking skeleton."

"Was Shazam there?" Bruce continued, digging for as much as he could.

Jaime's eyebrows furrowed at that, considering the question. "Like, the actual Wizard Champion guy? No, he wasn't there, but I do remember Billy saying something about him just  _disappearing_ and how he was  _supposed_ to be there. Black Adam seemed to be really surprised that Shazam wasn't there either, but he never really said or asked anything about him that I remember. I don't know. It's still all kinda fuzzy."

So, that meant that Billy was probably still hanging around the Rock of Eternity, because unfortunately, where else did he have to go? It was the truth Bruce had to face, how alone the boy might be right now, all by himself with no one to give any sort of comfort. From Jaime's description of his current state, Bruce inferred that Billy  _had_ aged, but only a few years. If he never died, Billy would be an adult, but if he still looked so young, then how he temporarily stopped aging. 

The second thing was to consider the effects of Billy being killed and then brought back to life. Bruce has no idea  _how_ he was brought back to life, but he knew from seeing countless examples of it that it usually didn't start out well for the one being resurrected (Jason immediately comes to mind, but he swiftly shoves that thought away). The boy could be unstable to have some symptoms of PTSD, something he was now considering since he remembered just how  _terrified_ Billy had been when he realized he was in the body of Shazam. Clearly he hasn't been his godlike other form for quite some time now, so there must be a reason for that as well.

He had answers, but there was still so  _many_ questions that he now had or were never answered. 

Why hadn't Billy come down to Earth to tell everyone he was alive? Why did he specifically visit Harley and Barry? What made him so terrified of being Shazam? How did he come back to life? Did he even  _die_ in the first place?

That was too many unanswered questions for the world's greatest detective, but it would do for now.

"Is there anyway to get to the Rock of Eternity?" Supergirl asked. "I remember Black Adam mentioning it many of times, but I've never seen him go there, or seen him create a way to go there."

"As far as I know, the Rock of Eternity can only be accessed by those who were given the blessing by the Wizard. Any one else in blocked from ever entering it, unless they go through an entryway specifically made by those who can enter. Unless Billy for whatever reason suddenly opens a portal we can go through, there's no way we can ever get to him that way," Bruce explained, seeing the slightly hopeful look on Supergirl's face fade. The Kryptonian's never met Billy or Shazam, but she seemed really eager to help in any way she could. The vigilante had the feeling it was because she felt about Clark killing the boy, that she somehow was responsible for his horrible death. Like with Harley, there was nothing Bruce could really do to convince her otherwise, no matter what he said, that guilt would always be there.

"So what are we supposed to do? Just  _wait_ for the slugger to show up again and  _hope_ he doesn't run away at the first sight of us?" Hal demanded. "I know this might come to some shock, but the kid doesn't really have  _happy_ memories associated with us. Last I saw the kid I watched his eyes get melted out of his skull without doing anything." The Lantern stared down at his ring, thinking back to when it had been yellow, when he had been nothing more than a mindless puppet to Superman's control. There were many things he was ashamed of when it came to his past, but that was one of the ones that haunted him the most.

"He doesn't have to forgive us," Barry intervened softly. "But it  _would_ be nice to have him around again. Fawcett City, the  _world_ hasn't been the same without him. It would be nice to have another familiar face in this room again."

Bruce could feel the nostalgia fill the air as those who knew Shazam processed Barry's words. He couldn't help but agree, that it would be good to have another member of their past together with them again, with a new Justice League slowly but surly being formed with heroes that were popping up all around the world. It would be like old times again.

But at the same time, Hal was also right. For all they knew, Billy wanted nothing to do with them, too traumatized about what had happened to ever trust them again. But hell, Bruce would be willing to never talk to the boy again if it meant bringing him back  _home_ where he was  _needed._

Bruce sat down slowly, placing his chin over his folded hands. "We can't do anything as of now. We can't force Billy or Shazam to do  _anything,_ even if we could get to the Rock of Eternity. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the future." He looked at ever single hero in the room, wondering if there would be more faces added to them soon.

"For now, all he can do is hope Billy finds a reason to come back and fight by our sides again."            


	16. Eternity

Billy covered his ears, hoping that it would be enough to block out the thundering noise filling the Rock of Eternity, but all it did was emphasize the rapid pounding of his heartbeat. Curled in a little ball in the farthest corner of the Rock, Billy trembled fiercely as all the yelling and noise continued, feeling his own salty tears drip steadily off his face and onto the Rock. It was horrible, but so far, he hasn't found a way to stop  _any_ of it, trapping him in his own safe haven with no way to get out.

Well, he  _could_ get out, if he really wanted to. The thing was, Billy was still too scared to leave what had been his home for so long, too scared to face his home planet.

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" roared the voice of Clark Kent, of  _Superman,_ from deep within the Rock. This made the boy tremble  _harder,_ hiccups filling his lungs and burning his throat. It's been like this for what felt like eternity, which very well might be possible given where they currently were. It would be his own fault if it had. He  _chose_ to bring Superman here,  _chose_ to use the Rock's magic to forever trap him so that he would never again be able to walk on any world, Earth or otherwise. Superman might be a Kryptonian with powers given to him by his own planet, but the Rock of Eternity is a place infused by the magic that weakens him so much, and with no yellow sun to fuel him, his powers only dwindle faster. 

Maybe he should have never gone to Earth, Billy thought as Superman once again began rocketing hits on his prison, looking desperately for a away out. Batman surly would've had an ace up his sleeve, right? The vigilante always had a plan, no matter what happened, so perhaps Billy just got in the way of that plan and messed everything up. Yeah, that made much more sense, didn't it?

The hits stopped, leaving the boy in the aching silence he so rarely got anymore. The only thing to be heard was his own sobbing, and it seemed no matter what he did, it refused to stop. His heart hurt so much there were many times he swore he had an injury there, but everytime he looked there it was perfectly smooth. He almost wished there  _was_ an injury there, anything to have an excuse to why he was still so  _weak._

Shazam would comfort him, rub his back and give him a giant hug until he felt better, but the Champion of Magic simply... wasn't  _there._ He hasn't been  _anywhere_ for  _weeks,_ not since before Black Adam, Aquaman, and Blue Beetle appeared in the Rock of Eternity. Billy had _no_ idea what caused his to disappear and not come back, but Billy quickly realized how much he had been  _using_ Shazam as an anchor, as a safety net from the rest of the universe. And now he was gone.

Well, not  _really_ gone. Technically the Champion was still around  _somewhere._

The only reason Billy knows this was that he was able to change into Shazam himself when he called the Champion's name.

Gods he should just make a list of things he  _shouldn't_ have done, because doing that was  _definitely_ at the top of it. The thing was, he hadn't even thought twice about doing it, he just  _did,_ old instinct that he never lost even though it still terrified him. The rush of power after not using it for so long felt  _amazing,_ like taking a deep breath he never realized he was holding. In an instant he became one with magic again, one with who he was  _supposed_ to be, filled with  _purpose._

Billy shook his head, trying to forget about it. But the panic that came afterwards was clear in his mind; the shocked look on Bruce's cowled face burned into his memory. He just couldn't face the Dark Knight, not after so  _long._

And to think he was actually getting  _better._

The hitting was coming back, even stronger than before with longer pauses in between each one. These felt different somehow, like they had less intention to them and were just desperately trying to find a use. For whatever reason, a hot spike of anger came to the boy at the sound, frustration and rage going while hot. Before he realized he was doing it, Billy was standing up and storming to the other side of the Rock, where Superman was held.

Billy quickly came to the prison he had created to keep the Kryptonian in, a large, dome like cage that was made of a thick, clear, magical material. It was the same material used by gods to imprison Titans and monster too great for the world to handle, so the boy knew it would be enough to hold its captive, but that didn't mean Superman could try and get out. Billy had no idea how long the prison would last, and frankly, he was terrified to turn back into Shazam to find out. After all, it was the  _Champion_ that had made the prison, not him.

Superman's figure was blurred slightly through the magic, the anger and hate very much present on his handsome features. But at the same time, Billy could see the weakness and exhaustion that hadn't bee there before, like he was gradually being exposed to red sun radiation like he had been in his last prison. 

The Kryptonian stopped all movement when he saw Billy, his blue eyes doing their best to burn holes into his head. The thought almost made the boy laugh, thinking back to how that happened the first time.

The two stared at one another for some time, neither daring to move a single muscle. This was the first time they've seen each other since Billy first brought Superman here, the time after that spent hiding away and trying to block out the existence of the other resident in the Rock. It was like like Superman was just as surprised to see him as the boy was to even find himself in the room. Why was he here after basically ignoring the Kryptonian for so long? Why  _did_ he ignore the Kryptonian for so long? Why did Superman even _care_? 

Billy finally broke the eye contact, turning around and determined to get as far away from Superman as he could (again), when Superman suddenly spoke.

"Why here?"

The boy stood pin straight, facing away from the Kryptonian as the remainder of his questioned echoed throughout the Rock. It wasn't a question Billy was expecting Superman to ask; maybe some demands about letting him out or threats on his well being, but never a question that was asked so calmly and nonchalantly, especially after what he yelled at Billy earlier. The boy found himself unable to respond, his tongue made of cotton and stone at the same time. He took a deep breath, forcing the feeling to go away.

"It's the only place I could take you where you wouldn't be able to hurt anybody," Billy glanced over his shoulder, seeing Superman's gaze still locked onto him. "That is, anybody but me, but I guess this is a worthy punishment for what I've done, for what  _we've_ done." He turned back around, making his eyes stay away from the prison. "Don't bother trying to break out. Even you are matched to the strength and will of Titans."

Billy walked out numbly, not sure where he was walking to anymore. Superman never replied, or perhaps the boy just couldn't hear him over the sharp ringing in his ears. For whatever reason, he couldn't stop thinking about what he said, how this was also his  _own_ punishment. He had never thought about it that way until he said it aloud, but he had no doubt it was true. He deserved every second of this torture, to be stuck in the same place as his killer with no one to take comfort it. If it meant keeping the universe safe, if it meant that somehow he would still  _matter,_ he would stay here as long as it took, even if that really meant eternity.

_But is that what you **really** want?_

Billy blinked when the thought entered his head, abruptly finding himself standing in front of the Seven Sins of Man, head craned up to look at their disfigured faces. He furrowed his eyebrows together, thinking deeply about the question.

_It's what I deserve._

_But is it what you **want?**_

"I don't  _know_ what I want, okay!" the boy was shouting now, all the anger, fear, frustration and pain that's built up over the past several years pouring out of him. "I never wanted to hurt innocent people, never wanted to betray my friends, never wanted any of it! All I wanted was to help, but look what I did! I helped tear apart the world until people were afraid to even step out of their houses in fear that they would be killed by the so called  _heroes_ who were supposed to _protect_ them!  _I_ was supposed to protect them! But I  _didn't."_ Billy took in a shuddering breath. "All I did was make things  _worse."_

The Seven Sins seemed to consider this, and for the first time Billy wondered if  _they_ _were_ the ones asking him that question. It would make sense seeing as he's here... but  _why_ _would they ask_ him that? They were supposed to be his opposites, supposed to hate him... just as Black Adam was supposed to hate him. 

_You could start over._

_You could try again._

_They would accept you without question._

_The world still needs protecting._

_You're too valuable to simply give up._

_You've finished this mission, now it's time to find a new one._

_Go be the hero Earth needs you to be._

The boy could only stand there in shock as each of the Sins spoke to him, each in their own separate, distinct voices. For as long as he's been the Champions avatar, they've never once spoken to him like  _this,_ only give him strong feelings of whatever they represented, trying to make him submit to them. But this... it was like they  _mourned_ the loss of their other, just like there can be no Yin without a Yang. 

"But-but I can't-"

_You can. You **must.**_

_We can send you back, make sure the heroes know of your presence._

_We will watch over the Kryptonian._

_We will make sure he stays in his place._

_We will guard the Rock of Eternity in your absence._

_We will make sure you don't have to stay here longer than you should._

_We will make sure Shazam comes back once more._         

"But  _why?"_ Billy demanded. "Why would you help me in any way? Aren't your supposed to fighting me, trying to make me fail? Why not take over while I'm weak?"

There was silence from the Sins. It went on for so long that Billy nearly convinced himself it never happened, but then they spoke up again.

_If there is no Champion, there is no balance._

_If there is no Champion, there are no protectors of magic._

_If there is no Champion, there is no power._

And then, all at once- 

_**If there is no Champion, there is no reason for us and the rest of magic to exist.** _

The boy's breath compressed from his lungs at that, eyes widening. Was that...  _true?_ He looked around the Rock of Eternity, wondering if it would soon fade from existence because of magic going away. Was he really the one connection between the Rock and Earth, the only way it was connected?

_If you do no go back soon, all magic on Earth will fade._ _You **must** go back and protect your home, Billy Batson. You must find a way to keep fighting. If you cannot fight for yourself, at least fight for  **them.**_

Them. The heroes he used to admire and strive to be, the heroes he used to call allies and even friends. Could he do that again, be a hero again? He still wasn't sure, but the Sins seemed so sure that he could. 

Billy took a deep breath, forcing all of the tension out of the body and cleared his mind. For the first time since being reborn, he actually considered returning to Earth and  _staying_ there,  _living_ back in Fawcett City and protecting all of the good people that lived there, protecting them from the evils the city attracted. Who was protecting them now? Certainly not Black Adam, not after the remaining Regime members fell apart once again. He couldn't just  _leave_ them and the rest of Earth to fight on their own.

The boy slowly opened his eyes, feeling lighter than he has in a  _long_ time. "Okay," he managed to say softly, raising his chin. "I'll go back to Earth. I'll... I'll fight for them."

Billy swore the Sins statues  _smiled_ at him, even if they were still unmovable blocks of granite. He couldn't help but smile back.

_Say his name and we will bring you back._

This time, when he threw his head back, there was no hesitation.  _ **"SHAZAM!"**_

The next moment, Billy Batson disappeared from the Rock of Eternity.   


	17. Welcome Home

A few days after the Justice League meeting about Shazam, Bruce noticed something odd happening in Fawcett City. Of course, in that city, there was  _always_ something odd going on, Fawcett almost acting as some sort of magical magnet that attracts all kinds of ancient monsters and bad meaning wizards. While no one strictly watched over the city, they all had a silent agreement to help protect it from its worst threats, even if they couldn't be there all the time like Shazam would have. 

It had started out as small things; police reports of criminals mysteriously being already tied up or knocked out by the time law enforcement arrived, a car somehow being saved when it got stuck on the train tracks, only seconds before the train hit, things that made your head turn but in the end, you didn't think much about because hey, weird things happen all the time. It wasn't like Fawcett City has had any shortage of odd incidences like that since their resident hero died, so there wasn't much need to look into it too hard.

But from there, things got  _much_ stanger. A hydra was reported to the Justice League, but by the time they got there, the creature was nothing more but a bit of ash on the ground. No one could tell them exactly what happened, accept that one moment the monster had been there, and the next there was a flash of light and it was completely gone. The cameras around the city couldn't tell them anything either, all of them going out at the same moment and only kicking back on after the monster was done for. Then it was the fact that reports of lightning began to skyrocket in the city even when there were no clouds for the lightning to come from. The strangest thing about this was none of the locals seemed concerned about this, in fact, many of them were even  _gleeful_ about this, and with more and more odd instances like this piling on top of one another, Bruce started to put the pieces together.

The incident that finally got him to admit that Shazam was back was when the Justice League got yet another report of an ancient monster appearing about two weeks after all of this had started. He, Supergirl, and Firestorm were the only ones available at the time, and they rushed quickly to the city, once again finding that the monster had already been taken cared of. Though this, time, none of the civilians were in any confusion about who and how it happened, in fact, many of them were  _crying_ in joy and relief.

"He's back!" one woman had been sobbing, clinging to her child who had nearly been killed by the monster. "He's back he's back he's back!"

"Are they talking about-" Supergirl glanced at Bruce, finishing the unspoken question. Bruce found himself looking away from the Kryptonian, not sure if he could respond evenly. All of the evidence pointed to Shazam,  _Billy,_ being alive and active in his home city, but he still hesitated. He knew he said they couldn't do anything until they had proof Shazam was back, but now that he did, he wasn't sure what to do. Did he hunt down the hero in hopes that he would be willing to talk? Did he ignore his existence, give him space until Billy came to him?

Bruce knew what he  _wanted_ to do, the question was  _should_ he do it.

The three heroes helped clean up the aftermath, unable to answer any of the questions the Fawcett City civilians had about their own hero. They didn't even seem frustrated that they didn't know any more than they did, just so  _relieved_ that they saw Shazam take down the monster. Later, when Bruce went over the cameras, he found that this time, none of them went out. He could easily see the brief battle between the red clad hero and the monster, how swift and fluid Shazam moved, like he had never stopped being a hero, which he hadn't in the minds of the city. 

It made him wonder; did Billy know how much Fawcett City still remembered him? Did the boy know about the small plaza the city made in his honor, about all the gifts that were placed at his statue every year on the anniversary of his first appearance? Did he know how hard the city  _mourned_ him, the normally bright and pristine streets turning murky with the citizen's grief? Or did he think the world hated him, resented him for being on the wrong side of the war?

From that day forward, Bruce went to the statue of Shazam everyday, hoping on day Billy would see him there and show up on his own. It might take a while, but it was time he was willing to spend if it meant seeing the boy. Day after day he spent here, enjoying the surprisingly peaceful sounds that rarely come to a city of this size. He watched children and their parents play in the plaza, a few bringing their children up to the statue, softly explaining to them who Shazam had been, how much he mattered to Fawcett City. Other times, when there were no people around, Bruce watched the birds that flew around, listening to their songs as they bounced happily from tree to tree.

As much as he enjoyed the couple hours he stayed in the plaza every day, Bruce still wondered if Billy even wanted him here. Was the boy's persistent silence a sign that he didn't want to talk to him? Or was it him just being shy, gathering his courage? Did Billy even  _know_ that Bruce was  _here?_

The man tilted his head back to the sky, feeling the soft wind gentle card through his hair. It was a beautiful day, oddly cool for being in the middle of the summer, but hey, Bruce's learned to accept and even enjoy the oddities Fawcett had to offer. After all, it wasn't like Gotham was that much better. 

Suddenly, there was a sharp clap of thunder, instantly causing Bruce's eyes to snap open and for the man to jump out of the bench he was sitting on. There was no reason for there to be thunder when the sky was completely clear of any clouds unless-

Bruce turned to his right, where the statue of Shazam silently stood, its marble structure glowing softly in the light of the sun above. The man always thought that whoever made it must have met the hero personally because of how beautifully detailed it was; they managed to perfectly capture the bright and boyish smile Shazam was well known for, and even the way his eyes crinkled and body stood made it feel like the hero was really there.

That is, if the actual hero himself wasn't standing right in front of it.

Bruce held his breath as he watched Billy Batson stand in front of his own statue, dwarfed in comparison to his alter ego. From here, Bruce could see the ash that still lightly dusted the boy's shoulders, his wild dark hair standing up in all directions. The sight gave the man an odd sense of deja vu, realizing after a moment that from this angle, without seeing Billy's face, the boy almost looked like... Tim.

God, he hasn't thought about Tim in  _ages._

Or Jason. Or Dick. Stephanie. Cassandra. Duke. In fact, his only child that was still alive was Damian, and he hated Bruce now.

The man took a deep breath to clear his thoughts, and like Billy somehow heard him, he turned around, his blue eyes as bright as ever. Everything about his body language told Bruce everything he needed to know about what the other was thinking; how nervous and uncomfortable he was being in the man's presence, but also determination. He looked so small and fragile in the shadow of the statue, but Bruce knew that was far from the truth. Billy was one of the strongest people he's ever known, whether that be metaphorical or literal, and even now, that hasn't changed a bit.

"Hi, Bruce," Billy whispered, his voice barely reaching the man's ears. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Bruce couldn't help the smile that came to his face, feeling so  _happy_ to finally see the boy after all this time, knowing he's still breathing and that everything, in a sense, was okay. It would never go back to the way it once was, but it was okay.

Without even realizing he was doing it, Bruce was running forward, scooping up Billy into his arms and hugging him as tightly as his human body allowed. The boy did the same, his skinny arms squeezing rather tightly, but Bruce didn't care, not about how it nearly hurt, not about the hair tickling his nose or even the tears that were threatening to burn his eyes. All that mattered was the boy, all that mattered was that he was  _back._

"I've missed you," Bruce choked into Billy's hair. "You have no idea how  _much_ I've missed you."

"I missed you too," the boy laughed, his chest beginning to shake, like he was crying. At this point, Bruce couldn't tell if he was doing the same or not. He didn't think it mattered either way. The man didn't know how long they held onto one another like that, but when they finally let go and Billy was back on his feet, his eyes were rimmed with red and tears streaking down his face. But there was a smile there one he remembered from so long ago.

Maybe this is what Bruce finally needed to move on from this horrible chapter of his life, what he needed to help bridge him between the past and present. He would make sure Billy was never left alone ever again.

Bruce cupped the boy's face, wiping away the remaining tears still lingering on his face.

"Welcome back."


	18. Epilogue: A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, this will officially be the last chapter of A Reason to Fight. Thank you all SO much for reading it and enjoying it as much as I have, thank you for every single comment, kudos, and read you guys have given this. It really means a lot more than you could ever imagine. Without further ado, here we go!

Introducing Shazam back to the world was surprisingly easy, and yet, extremely complicated all at the same time. There were people that eagerly accepted that the hero was back, like those in Fawcett City, but also those who were hesitant for the hero to immediately come back with no questions asked. Then there were people that hated Shazam simply for being affiliated with the Regime, people that wanted nothing to do with him and demanded he be given the same treatment as the rest of the Regime members.

That was the  _politics_ of it all, but really, it was quite simple to do, if you were to ask Bruce. Shortly after his and Billy's reunion, he convinced the boy to meet the new Justice League, which was filled with both old and new members. Billy agreed, and at the next meeting, Bruce introduced him. It had been slightly awkward at first, mainly with the older members, but after Barry had whispered,  _"fuck it,"_ under his breath and gave Shazam a giant bear hug, the tension broke like a dam. Soon, every League member was hugging the hero, even those who never knew him, all while Bruce watched from a distance, unable to hide the wide smile on his cowled face.

That is, everyone except Supergirl. The Kryptonian instead stood nervously beside the Dark Knight, her hands cupped together as she watched the scene before her play out. Hal was now giving Shazam a nuggy, which was quite fun to watch given as the magical hero was nearly half a foot taller than the Green Lantern. Everyone was laughing and Bruce was glad to see that Billy had an actual  _smile_ on his face, something he's found in the past few days to be rare when it came to the boy.

"Is there a reason you're over here rather than over there, Kara?" Bruce asked gently, slightly turning his head to face the Kryptonian.

Kara shrugged her shoulders, eyes remaining unblinking. "I doubt he wants to be near a Kryptonian any time soon," was all she replied with, a look of...  _shame_ crossing her face. 

"Kara." Bruce put a firm hand on her shoulder, making the Kryptonian look at him. "Billy doesn't hold grudges like that. He's too sweet for that, in fact he'll probably make you a cake if you asked. Yes, he'll probably be a little afraid of you at first, but he won't refuse to be  _near_ you."

Kara glanced at the vigilante, pursing her lips before looking back at the group. "I...I still think that I should keep my distance until he decides to come to me. I don't want to put any pressure him." She said it in a way that ended the conversation from going any further, and Bruce didn't push it any, knowing that once Kara made her decision that she stubbornly stuck to it. 

Bruce resisted the urge to sigh. They've come a long way, but there was still much to go. He could live with that, if it meant everything was finally settling into place.

After the hug fest (which honestly lasted  _way_ longer than Bruce intended it to, but oh well) the Justice League voted on if Shazam should be accepted into their ranks. It was an unanimous decision that instantly put the magical hero on the League, the Dark Knight noting happily how the smile never once left Billy's face. After was Shazam's official reintroduction to the world, where the League was bombarded with questions about the hero's whereabouts for all these years and when he came back and on and on and  _on._ Shazam, usually smooth and easy when it came to talking to the media, suddenly shut down with the onslaught of questions, refusing to answer anything he was asked. 

When they were finally able to escape the reporters and media and head back to the Hall of Justice, Shazam still didn't say anything, barely even responding to anyone. He kept staring into the distance, fingers twitching against his sides when any sound reached him too sharply. It took a long time, but Bruce managed to convince all of the League to leave him alone with Shazam, the silence in the Hall louder than any words could be.

The vigilante took off his cowl, making Shazam's blue eyes dart over to the movement. The red clad hero seemed to consider this for a moment before saying, "Shazam," turning him back into Billy Batson. The boy's eyes were much more open than Shazam's were, even if they were still aged with the same pain and knowledge that every hero eventually gained. It was a look that didn't belong on a child, but it was a look Bruce remembers seeing often. Tim had especially mastered that look, always putting too much weight on his shoulders but never once bending from the struggle.

After a few more moments of silence, Billy spoke. "You never asked me what happened to Superman." 

Bruce didn't move a muscle, barely even breathing as he and the boy stared at one another, two different shades of blue. 

"No. I didn't. Do you want me to know?"

Billy blinked unexpectedly at this, like he hadn't considered his own opinion in the matter. "I think you  _should_ know."

"But do you  _want_ me to know?"

The boy broke eye contact with Bruce, staring thoughtfully at the ground. There was perhaps a minute of silence before Billy spoke again, quietly. "I don't know." He looked back up at Bruce, his eyes reflecting the cold glaciers making their way through his mind. "But you should still know, in case anything...  _happens_ to me." He took a deep breath. "Clark's in the Rock of Eternity, imprisoned in a cage I made. It's made to withstand the force of Titans, so he won't be getting out ever. I... until a few weeks ago I thought I would be spending the rest of eternity there with him, watching over his every move, but believe it or not, the Sins convinced me to come back."

The boy shook his head, like even he still couldn't believe it himself. Bruce wondered if he would ever be ready to tell the man everything that had happened in the past few years, wondered if there was something he could even do to  _help._ Was therapy even an  _option_ here? Sure, Dinah was a wonderful therapist, but there was still only so much she could do...

"Thank you for telling me," Bruce said honestly, putting his hand on Billy's shoulder. "If there's anything you need to say, just know I'll always listen, alright?"

Billy nodded in response, the barest hint of a smile gracing his lips.

 

 

Shazam was still gone, but honestly, Billy hardly noticed anymore. Yes, he still missed the Champion a lot, especially when he's Shazam. He's grown so used to having the Champion in his head, talking to him all the time that he almost felt empty without him. Sure, technically he wasn't  _gone_ seeing as Billy could still turn into him and whatnot, but it wasn't the same. There were still nights he woke up in a cold sweat, reaching out for a warmth that he no longer knew the location of, but most of the time, he was fine. 

Telling Bruce about Superman lifted a large weight off his shoulders, making him unconsciously release tension that had been steadily building up. Somehow he still felt guilty about imprisoning the Kryptonian, maybe because of Supergirl, his cousin. It was so hard to believe that he and Kara could be anywhere close to being related, but they definitely were. The Girl of Steel was hesitant to approach him at first, but now they were pretty good with one another. Kara was friendly and funny, and she was willing to spend a few hours in the clouds with him, talking about everything and nothing.

Being a hero again was nice, even if it still gave him nerves most days. He had forgotten how exhilarating it could be to swoop in and save the day, to use the power he had been granted for good. Fawcett City welcomed him back with open arms, even if many other were still wary of him, but he couldn't care less if his city still loved him. Being on the Justice League again felt better than it ever did, the knowledge of other heroes who were willing to help him soothing him more than he'd like to admit. And seeing the old League members together helped a lot too; Dinah, Oliver, Hal, Barry, Harley, and even Selina were nice faces to see on a regular basis, even if they were a stark reminder of those who weren't there.

Vicktor is who his mind most often falls to. Billy hasn't seen him in... gods, he couldn't even  _remember._ They had grown so far apart during the course of the Regime that they barely even acknowledged each others existence. 

He rarely let his mind linger on Vicktor, though if he wanted to, he could go visit the cyborg in the prison he was kept in. For whatever reason, unlike everyone else, Billy didn't have the urge to see someone who tore him down, was simply content with his memories. He found that for once, he didn't  _care_ what everyone thought of him, only those who mattered. Unfortunately, right now, Vicktor didn't matter anymore. He chose his side and paid the consequences for them, nothing more to be said. 

He still made the occasional trip to the Rock of Eternity to see Superman, as much as it still left his stomach sour. He's gotten a lot better over the last few months, but he knew that he would never be 100% ready for meeting his killer, even if by this point the Kryptonian was a weak as any human. It was still hard to believe that was true, even as Billy watched his dark hair gradually gray from trip to trip, until one time he walked in to find it entirely white.

Billy stared at the weakened Superman for many moments, thinking that magic must have a stronger effect on Kryptonians than he originally thought. He didn't even react when the boy arrived, only looked down at the rock below him, not a sound made from his lips.

The prison was still as strong as ever, even without Billy here to help keep in maintained. He would have to thank the Sins for that later, he thought to himself, ready to move on to the next part of the Rock when Superman abruptly spoke.

"Where do you go?"

His eyes were still trained at the ground, but Billy was willing to bet if they looked up, they would be just as dull and gray as his hair. It was nearly disturbing how  _fragile_ and  _weak_ Superman looked, before the boy was hit with the thought that he looked like  _Billy_ when he first came back to the living. But Superman had never died, at least, in the physical sense. The boy could see his own reflection in the clear substance of the prison, right beside its prisoner.  

"I...I go back to Earth."

The Kryptonian's eyes  _did_ look up at that, not an emotion present anywhere. The skin that had once tanned from years in the Kansas sun was pale and cracked at the lips, so thin in some places that you could see the web of veins that made up his circulatory system. They weren't blue like a regular human's would be, though. Instead, they were bright red.

Just like the color of his eyes when they-

Billy shivered, forcing his thoughts away from... that  _place._ He refused to fall back into the cycle of reliving his death like he had been in for so long. If went back... well, lets just say, he could convince himself to stay at the Rock for all Eternity, like he was planning on before. It was a thought that still occasionally came into his head, no matter how much better he got, but Billy had the feeling it would always be that way, and surprisingly enough, he's actually okay with that.

"Does the sun still rise?"

The boy blinked, startled at the question. The logical answer was right on the tip of his tongue, but yet, he hesitated. "Yes," he replied slowly. "The sun always rises, even if we don't see it hidden behind the clouds."

Clark's eyes flickering with  _something_ at that before quickly going back to their emotionless state. Billy felt his heart clench, thinking about how  _unfair_ all of this was. Clark was going to be a  _father,_ he was a  _hero_ and a _friend,_ but now he was stuck here because all of that changed. He was no longer someone the Earth could trust, someone they knew would always put them first. He changed too much.

They've all changed too much, in Billy's opinion.

Oh well. There's nothing he can do about the past, only push forward into the future, making sure to remind himself that the sun will always rise. You just have to look for it.

Billy Batson turned away from Clark Kent, calling out,  _"SHAZAM!" ,_ instantly bringing him back to Earth, the sun warming his face as it rose over Fawcett City. This time, there wasn't a hint of guilt, knowing that somewhere above the clouds, the Champion was watching over him. 

After all, he had finally found his reason to fight.         

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter song- Stealing Life by Red Sun Rising 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment. 
> 
> ~Magical_Devil_Alex


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